Darkness Before the Dawn
by LMRaven
Summary: NOW DONE Btwn Eclipse and Breaking Dawn. With most of the threats to their happiness gone, what will happen when a psychopath from Bella's past comes to claim her or kill her? Will Edward & Bella get their happy ever after? Bella, Edward, Alice POV most
1. The Phone Call That Changed It All

I always wondered why Bella was 18 at the beginning of her senior year of high school. This story attempts a theory at explaining that.

Written in various POV's mostly, Bella, Edward and Alice.

All characters belong to the talented Stephenie Meyer.

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Prologue

Bella POV

As I lie here, trying to separate my mind from the pain, I wanted to laugh at the sheer arrogance of myself thinking I could ever defend myself against the monster from my past. God, what did I condemn myself to? What did I condemn Edward to? We would never get our Happily Ever After.

As I clung to the last vestiges of consciousness, I couldn't help but think of the irony. After everything; the vampires, the wolves, the volturi; I should see my end at the hands of a human. A self depracting smile formed on my lips and I could think no more.

2 Weeks Earlier

Bella POV

Bella's Room:

It was a month before my wedding. A month before I would be Mrs. Edward Cullen. Alice, Esme, Rosalie and Renee were planning things for weeks now. I left them to it. The only thing I cared about was spending eternity with my beautiful Edward. It still eluded me how someone like him, so perfect, so wholly wonderful, could want to be with someone as blatantly plain as I was. I never questioned it in his presence anymore as it only served to make him feel guilty for ever leaving me that one time. But thankfully he couldn't read my thoughts because I often still wondered.

I felt Edward wrap his arms around me and rest his chin on my head. My hands immediately and instinctively came up to hold his arms in place.

"A penny for your thoughts." He said his velvet voice.

"Surely, they are not worth that much." I retorted.

"Bella, your thoughts, could I hear them, would be priceless to me." He had gotten used to not being able to read my mind like he could everyone else's but he still didn't like it. I on the other hand was extremely grateful that my thoughts were mute to him.

"I am just thinking about how much I love you and how I can't wait to be your wife" I answered him.

"It wasn't that long ago that you cringed at the thought of marrying me." He said it like he was kidding but I heard the need for reassurance in his voice.

"Not you, Edward. Just getting married at 18."

He sighed. "Ahh, yes, you didn't want to be 'that' girl. And now?

"Now" I said turning to face him, to hold him against me, "well..let's just say I am happy…well so much more than that really, to get to spend eternity with you."

"And Alice? She's not driving you crazy with wedding plans?" He sounded worried.

"I gave Alice free reign, more or less. It makes her happy and she's a natural at it"

He separated himself from me a little bit so he could look into my eyes. "Bella, I thought we talked about this. It's your day. Do what makes you happy. Not Alice."

"Edward," I said caressing his cheek, "It's our day first of all and it makes me happy to make Alice happy."

"I love you" He said simply as he lowered his lips to mine. As usual, the energy of our lips together made me weak need and wanting more. Edward pulled back first from the embrace. Typical for him when things became too heated.

I sighed, always hating that he was the first to pull away. It was apparent that he didn't trust himself enough to stop. Regardless, I held on to the fact that he would try to have a "normal' wedding night with me. Which brought me to my next statement.

"So…Alice and I are going shopping this weekend for honeymoon stuff."

Now it was his turn to sigh. "I told Alice that our honeymoon was supposed to be a surprise. How is it supposed to be if you know what kind of clothes to bring with you?"

I rolled my eyes. "Relax, Edward. Your secret is safe. We're not shopping for daytime clothes if you know what I mean."

He seemed to take a moment to absorb this. "Ahh", finally understanding. "I promised we would try, Bella."

"I know" I said rubbing the buttons of his shirt with the tip of my finger. 'But that doesn't mean I'm not going to try to please you."

Edward closed his eyes with an expression of almost pain crossing his features. "Bella, you do please me and so much more just by existing…just by being mine."

Edward POV:

I still had trouble believing this beautiful, selfless girl was mine. That she had forgiven me for hurting her so dreadfully. She still had nightmares about me leaving her. I knew because I spent nearly every night in her room just to watch her sleep. Being away from her now was too painful and while she may have forgiven me for leaving her what I thought was her best interests, I would never forgive myself. I very nearly destroyed both of us. Never again, I vowed to myself as well as her. I was tired of running. Bella loved me. I wasn't going anywhere.

"Are you sure you don't want to stay at my house while Charlie is away?" I finally asked hearing Charlie's thoughts as he was packing

_"Socks? Check. Shirts? Check. Damn, how many pairs of underwear should I bring? I hope Bella doesn't have any parties while I am away. Crap. I'll be out of cell phone range. I hope the fish are biting."_

I smirked in amusement. Charlie's thoughts usually made more sense than this. The wedding planning must be getting to him too. No wonder why he was escaping.

"Yeah, I'm positive." Bella replied to my question. " Besides, I don't want to get under Rosalie's skin any more than I have. She hasn't come around entirely."

I grimaced. Damn Rosalie. I'd rather have Bella near where I could make sure of her safety.

"Forget Rosalie. Stay for me. Charlie will be gone for 2 weeks and anything could happen to you here by yourself. A loose floor board, a missed place sock at the top of the stairs." I was mainly joking but not entirely off the mark. When it came to Bella any moving or stationary object could be a threat.

Bella laughed and playfully slapped me on the arm. "Edward, me and my clumsiness will be just fine. I have managed for 18 years."

"If your xrays are any indication, I beg to differ."

"Ha, ha."

I smoothed the hair from her face relishing the feel of the silkiness between my cold fingers. "But seriously," It was time to break some news. "While you and Alice are on your shopping spree, Carlisle, Jasper, Emmett and I will be hunting that weekend. It's just 3 days but we want to get as much hunting in as possible before we host all the humans for the wedding."

Bella pulled back and I felt the loss of her embrace. "I'll be fine. Really" She said. I heard the unsurety in her voice and again I was painfully reminded of the damage to our trust that I had caused. She didn't fully believe I was honest when I told her I wasn't and I couldn't leave her.

I took her hand and held it in mine marveling at how the light of her lamp made the diamond of my mother's ringer on her finger glisten and shine in every facet.

"If you don't want me to go, we can always hunt closer to home." I said in all seriousness.

Bella looked thoughtful then with her back straight, she looked right at me so I could not mistake the genuineness of her words.

"No." She said , "As hard as it is to be away from you, I know you will come back….er, mostly. And you are right. You need to go. I don't want you to have to feel like you have to stay for me, for my own unwarranted fears. I am fine with it…really."

Knowing Bella's affinity for putting everyone else's wants and needs before her own, I really wasn't satisfied with her answer. She looked into my eyes and gently squeezed my hand as if knowing I didn't believe her. "Really" she said again.

I searched her eyes with my own looking for some sort of clue as to what was hidden in their chocolate depths. It was frustrating, to say the least, not being able to read her thoughts.

"Okay, then" I nodded in acquiescence.

BELLA POV (the next day)

Charlie left with Billy Black early this morning for their 2 week fishing trip. Why anyone would want to go fishing for 2 weeks in the Washington wilderness was beyond me but I knew Charlie needed to get away, to have this time. Before his 18 year old daughter got married.

I made them both a big breakfast and sent them on their way happy to have some time to myself. My life since moving to Forks seemed to be one dramatic not to mention life threatening event after another and with the wedding a month away and most of the danger passed it was nice to have time to reflect.

What to do? I thought to myself. Since Alice had taken over much of the planning, I felt essentially useless. Not a feeling I was used to having. If I wasn't taking care of Renee, I was taking after Charlie and since both weren't here..well I kind of felt out of sorts. I wasn't used to not having anything to do or not having any decisions to make.

I was quite effectively bored and had only been alone for an hour. Maybe I should have stayed at Edward's. He was home and I could always call him. I picked up the phone and immediately put it back down. No. I was not going to be needy. It seemed like he was always saving me from others or myself. I needed to be self sufficient Bella again.

So I did the only thing I could think of. I went into my room of only 2 years and tried to decide how I was going to pack up my life. Alice already mentioned a new wardrobe, so forget clothes though there were some concert T shirts I definitely wanted to keep and anything else of sentimental value.

Deciding I needed boxes, I drove to the store and picked up boxes of various sizes as well as packing tape all the while hoping some of the more blatantly curious Fork townsfolk wouldn't stop to ask me about my upcoming nuptials. My cell phone rang as I was headed to the register.

"Hello"

It was Alice "Bella, I can see what you are about to buy and I can tell you right now it's too much."

I laughed. It figured. Nothing much gets by Alice. "I just want to be prepared." I told her.

"You won't be packing any clothes, will you? "

"Just some of the ones I really like." Honestly, she was getting to be too much with using me as her living fashion mannequin.

'Okay then. Good luck. You can't get into too much trouble packing, right?" She didn't sound so sure.

"Not unless I manage to pack myself in a box."

She laughed then. "With you, Bella, one never knows. Oh don't forget Edward is taking you out tonight. He'll pick you up at 7. I left a dress hanging in your closet. I've already seen you in it. It looks amazing."

"Alice.." I warned knowing that whatever Alice picked out was guaranteed to be over the top both in looks and in cost.

"Oh Bella, just relax and trust me. Your future sister would not lie."

"That's not the bit I am worried about"

She laughed "Bye Bella."

When I got home, the house phone was ringing. With hands full, I nearly tripped into the house running to catch it before whoever was on the other end hung up.

"Hello." I answered breathlessly.

"Bella? Isabella Swan?" The male voice on the other end of the phone questioned.

"Yes" I said dumping the boxes on the floor before I did anymore damage.

"It's Detective Joe Conner, Phoenix PD. Remember me?"

My mind raced. I knew a lot of cops thanks to Charlie. Then I hit on it, remembering, although when I knew him he still went by Officer. There was only one reason he could be calling me and it was not a good one. Please, I thought. Not this. Not after everything.

Steeling myself for what was to come, I forced myself to be light. "It's Detective now? You've been promoted."

His chuckle sounded forced. "Well, that's mostly thanks to you." He answered.

"What can I do for you?" I asked trying to be optimistic. Maybe he heard I was getting married and wanted to congratulate me.

There was a hesitation in his answer. I closed my eyes and swallowed painfully past the lump that had just formed in my throat.

"It's Will Grady. He's escaped."

Crap, I thought. Not now. This was not happening. Suddenly I was thrown back 5 years to the sick horror of it all. Will Grady's leering smile in my head, taunting me.

"Bella? Bella? Are you still there?"

It took me a moment to find my voice . "Yes, I'm here"

"Look, we don't know how the sonofabitch got out but we are doing everything we can to find him. More than likely he went south across the border to Mexico. In that case it will be a pain in the ass to extradite him but we'll do it. In the off chance he has any inclination to come after you, I wanted to let you know so you can take precautions to protect yourself."

I was still shocked. "yes, yes. Of course"

"Is your dad there? I want to talk to him cop to cop since Forks is out of our jurisdiction."

"He's not here. He's fishing for awhile and is out of cell phone range."

I started to feel a panic attack coming on. The walls were closing in.

"Bella, Bella" Joe said pulling me back to reality. "It's going to be okay. It's doubtful he'll come to you. But to be safe, is there anyone you can stay with?''

"Oh. Uh, my fiancé." I muttered.

"Fiance'? You're getting married? Well, congrats! I hope he's a great guy"

"The best"

"Good. Okay then. You should stay with him"

"Yeah, yeah. Okay. I'll do that." I said my mind racing. Edward could not know about this. He was finally happy, worrying about my clumsiness aside.

"And Bella, If he contacts you in any way, let me know. Jurisdiction or not, I'll take the next plane there."

"Sure."

"Promise me, Bella"

"I promise."

"Good. Take care of yourself okay? I'll be in touch with any updates."

"Thanks."

I hung up the phone with shaking hands chastising myself for complaining about having no decisions to make. Now it seemed, I had nothing but. One thing remained clear. Edward could not find out about this. He would worry himself sick, vampirism aside and then there was the risk of him exposing himself as a vampire should Grady make his way up here and thereby incurring the wrath if the Volturi. Then there was his family, my future family. I had put them through more than enough trying to protect me.

It was time I protected myself and I need to figure out quickly how to do so. Grady was out of prison and even if the police didn't think he would come after me, I knew better. They weren't kept in a filthy hovel wreaking of death with the man for months. Their wills and desire to live weren't broken by this sick and twisted excuse for a human being. As insanely fragmented as Grady's mind was, it was always single minded when it came to me and he would not rest until he had me alive or dead.

I hoped and prayed Alice couldn't see me in one of her visions now. She would question me until she got the truth then Edward would know. Something like this she would not keep from him and I refused to put any of them at risk because of me again.

Leaving the boxes where they were, I ran out of the house and into my truck. Packing was temporarily put on hold. I needed to figure out how to save myself because even if Grady did keep me alive for his sick purposes, I would be praying for death. I needed to prevent him from getting me in the first place and since buying a gun would provoke too many question not to mention a waiting period, self defense class seemed to be a good place to start. I didn't have much time to learn.

"You want to start right now?" The teenage boy behind the counter asked incredulously. I knew his face from school but didn't know his name.

'Yes, right now." I was desperate. "Look, how hard is it. I pay, I start."

"Well, we have a class in 10 minutes. But you don't have the proper clothing."

"Don't you have a spare whatever you call it? I'll wear sweats. I don't care. I need to be in that class."

"Have you ever taken Karate before?"

"No"

"White belt then. Okay fill out these forms. I believe we have a spare ghi in the back."

I nodded and released the breathe I didn't know I was holding.


	2. Karate Lessons

Alice POV

Edward was composing again. The melody was really quite beautiful and I knew this particular song was part of his wedding gift to Bella to be played at the reception. For Bella, it would probably be the one she valued the most as she wasn't one for monetary gifts. Foolish girl, I thought snickering to myself. She definitely did not have her priorities straight. Thankfully and mostly because Edward had finally agreed to change her sometime after the wedding, I would have eternity to set her straight.

Unable to decide what color to paint my nails, I decided to peak in on Bella to see how her packing was going. Hopefully, she was heeding my advice and leaving most of her clothes with Charlie. What I saw was something I did not expect to see, not in a million years. Bella was dressed up in a karate outfit standing on a mat facing someone else dressed the same way. The room was filled with people dressed the same way. Was Bella taking a martial arts class? She looked fiercely determined and more than a little frazzled.

I tried to wrap my mind around the fact the Bella, who cringed at the thought of going to gym class, that stairs posed an ominous threat, would willingly get beat up. The manicure would have to wait. This was going to be entertaining.

Bella and her opponent circled each other. I knew the moment he would strike. "Block it!" I shouted as her opponent jabbed at her. She was a little late ion her block and caught a chop on the shoulder. "Okay," I said 'Shake it off, shake it off."

I was off the couch now assuming a fight stance like Bella. This was better than Nintendo Wii. "Wait for it, Wait for it, Now" I said. Bella caught her opponent with a kick. "Way to go Bella, you nailed him." I yelled. My adrenaline was pumping. I loved a good fight even if it was only pretend.

Bella circled behind her opponent and managed to get her arm around his neck. Suddenly he flipped her on the mat. "Ow, that had to hurt." I gave it to Bella though; she got right up to do it again.

"What the hell is going on?" Edward suddenly shouted. This was not good. I didn't realize that he could hear me. I jumped back on the couch pretending to do my nails while switching from my images of Bella to the US Bill of Rights in Latin. As quick as I was, I knew it was already too late.

Edward stood in front of me glaring. "Would you mind telling me why you were standing in the living room looking like you were acting out some Bruce Lee movie and shouting instructions at Bella?"

So involved was I that I didn't hear his music stop or him coming down the stairs. "How much did you see?" I asked.

"So you admit that you are hiding something. Something that has to do with Bella."

Oh, he was mad. How should I play this?

"Promise me you won't get mad or overreact?"

"I am not promising anything."

"Then I guess you will just have to ask Bella herself when you see her"

"Alice..." He said my name in a warning tone. Sorry Bella, I thought silently.

"Bella, it seems, has decided to take up Karate"

He looked stunned. Did I shock him into silence?

"Show me" He said in a calm voice. Too calm, I thought. He was going to blow.

"No, I don't think I will" I responded. The last thing I wanted him to see was that vision of Bella getting flipped over someone's shoulder. Esme would be lucky she had any living room furniture left if I showed him that. Edward had a tendency to be a little bit over reactive and overprotective.

"Please Alice" Oh, he was reduced to begging now. I was almost tempted to see how far he would go, what he would give me in return but my conscience got the best of me.

"Oh, for crying out loud Edward. What's the big deal?"

"The big deal is she could get hurt, seriously hurt"

I rolled my eyed at him. "Do you know how many people take up karate, Edward?"

"But this is Bella" was his simple answer. He was right about that.

I knew he was about to take off any second to go find her. I wrapped my fingers around his wrist in a vice like grip. "Don't. You. Dare." I said through clenched teeth. "If you go there and pull her out, not only will she be highly embarrassed but she will also be very angry. You don't have to be a psychic to know that."

He sighed. "So what am I supposed to do, Alice?"

"She is obviously there voluntarily. Let her be."

I heard him growl low in his chest. It was not the answer he wanted but he was okay for now. I let his wrist go.

"I thought you said she was packing today?'

"Well that was what she told me. I don't know why she suddenly decided to take up martial arts. I've read that many women like to do some sort of physical activity before getting married to get into shape or to relive some stress. Not me, of course, but it is fairly common"

"Why not take a step class then?"

"You'll have to ask her."

"I intend to."

"Edward, I do have to tell you. She wasn't half bad."

"I wish you would have let me see for myself."

I just shrugged my shoulders and started to go through the Chinese alphabet in mind just because I could.

Bella POV

I was sore and I was tired but I felt good, amazing actually. To know that I was taking the steps necessary to protect myself and therefore protecting my loved ones boosted my esteem. I felt like I finally had some control.

Showering would wait until I got home however. I really didn't like showering in public places. As I walked out to my truck, I saw Edward. Leaning against his Volvo with his arms crossed. He wasn't exactly glaring at me but I knew he wasn't happy. I decided to go for the clueless approach.

"Edward, you didn't have to pick me up. I drove here"

He wrapped his cold arms around me than pulled back from me looking me over as if he was checking for injuries. Satisfied that I was not obviously injured, he pulled me back into his embrace again.

"Why Bella?

"Why what?

"You know what." He said. I was told long ago that if you had to lie, stay as close to the truth as possible. So that is what I did.

"I'm tired of being the weak link" I said into his chest. He pulled back again so he could look into my eyes but still kept his hands on me.

He smiled then. "Bella, when you choose to associate with vampires and werewolves, well…"

"I'll always be the weak link" I finished for him. "Not all monsters are supernatural, Edward."

I lost my confidence buzz and now I was just hurt and angry. I pulled back from him and walked to my truck opening the door and throwing my bag inside. He grabbed my arm to prevent me from going anywhere.

"I didn't mean it like that" He started apologetically. Then he zeroed in on the second part of what I said. "What do you mean, not all monsters are supernatural. Has something happened?"

Crap, crap. I wanted to shout. Stick close to the truth, I told me self again. "No. It's just that as much as I don't like it, I know you can't be with me all the time and I'd like to think that I could defend myself. I mean, Port Angeles, perfect example. What if you couldn't get to me in time? Wouldn't it give you peace of mind to know that I could take care of myself?"

"So, let me get this straight. You are getting yourself beat up for my peace of mind"

"Ugh" I said not able to put my frustration in more eloquent phrasing. "I am actually not bad at it."

Edward smirked then. "Well I guess Alice was wrong."

"Why what did she say?" I asked suspiciously.

"Well, she thought you were doing it as stress relief or to tone up"

Damn, I thought. Why the hell didn't I think of that? "That is an added benefit." I agreed.

"C'mon, let me ride home with you"

Edward POV

Satisfied, Bella wasn't hurt. I got in the passenger side of her truck and tried not to comment on her driving. Something was still off. I could feel it and it didn't sit right with me. Why was I getting this dark sense of foreboding that something was going to snatch her away from me again? I barely survived it before. I didn't know if I could do it again.

Shoving the thought to the back of my mind for the time being, I concentrated on feeling the warmth of Bella's hand in mind. I closed my eyes and listened to the most profound sound of my existence; her beating heart.


	3. Nightmares

Bella POV

When we pulled up to my house, I turned to face him.

"So, are you going to tell me where we are going tonight?" I asked genuinely curious. I had this dress from Alice hanging in my closet that I had not seen yet and I wondered where Edward would be taking me that I would need it. It wasn't like we were a "normal" couple where we could go out to dinner or anything.

"No, it's a surprise" He said grinning knowing how I hated surprises.

I grimaced. "No hints then?"

"Not a one."

"Well, I guess I'll go get ready then. "

He pulled me in his arms then and his cold lips found my warm ones. I wrapped my arms around him and gave myself to him fully expressing all my love and desire to him in that one kiss. As usual it was passionate, intense and way too short.

Edward pulled back first and traced his fingers gently across my cheek and over my lips. It took everything I had to not open my mouth and draw his finger in to suck on it. As if he sensed where my thoughts were headed, his expression looked pained and he pulled away as if the effort were too much.

"I'll be here at 7 to pick you up." He said kissing me gently on the forehead. I nodded my head unable to form any words, still reeling.

I was afraid to look at the dress. I really was. Alice and I didn't exactly have the same taste. But she said she had a vision of me in it and I looked beautiful. I didn't bet against Alice.

The shower felt amazing but I knew that I would be in much pain tomorrow after using muscles I probably didn't realize I had. I had to remind myself that I was doing this for them, my second family. After everything they had been put through because of me, I didn't want to cause any more trouble for them. I knew Will Grady was no match for one of them let alone all of them but The Cullens, especially Edward and Esme, were not killers at heart and I knew they would kill Grady if they found out about him. His death on their consciences was something I could not bear. No, his death would rest on me.

The dress was the last thing I put on. It was beautiful when I finally saw it out of it's garment bag. I just couldn't imagine me in it. It was long and sheer and a deep forest green that hung off one shoulder. Mostly likely designer if I knew Alice.

The problem was I could not reach the zipper in the back. As hard as I could without bending over backwards and falling on the floor, I could not do it.

"Great, just great." I muttered to myself. "Pretty wrapping on a plain box is still just a plain box."

"It's still a gift I would like to unwrap"

I whipped around to face Edward nearly falling over in the 3 inch heels that went with the dress. He reached out to catch me before I wound up on the floor.

"Edward! What are you doing here? I thought you were coming at 7." I glanced at the clock and it was 6:45.

"Alice saw a vision of you hurting yourself trying to zip up the dress so I came over to help you out. May I?"

I turned around giving him access to my back."I think I would have managed."

He chuckled almost under his breath and zipped the dress. His hands caressed the back of my neck before he pulled me against him and nuzzled the side of my throat, breathing in deeply to inhale my scent. I turned back into his arms doing the same. For a moment we just stood there breathing each other in.

Edward cleared his throat and pulled back still holding my arms. "Let me look at you." He paused and his gaze raked over me. I felt strangely naked under his intimate perusal and blushed. "Beautiful." He finally said.

So enraptured was I that I didn't notice that he was wearing a black tux. Where _were_ we going tonight?

"No, you look beautiful." I replied. He rolled his eyes at me and pulled me into his embrace again.

"So will you tell me where we're going now?" I pouted.

"You'll see. C'mon, let's go."

When we walked out the front door of my house, I noticed Edward pulled out all the stops. Where I was expecting to see the silver Volvo parked, I saw the Aston Martin, Edwards "special occasion" car.

"Seriously?" I asked looking up at him. He just shrugged. "I fell like a Bond Girl wannabe. " I said as he opened the door for me and I slid into the seat. He quickly got in on the other side. "Does this car have any gadgets I should know about, like an ejection seat?"

"Ah, Bella. I love you."

When we got to our destination, it wasn't what I was expecting. It looked like some very expensive dinner and dancing club. Edward gave his keys to the valet and tipped him with what seemed to be a lot of money; if the valet's exuberant expression was any indication. Edward held my hand to help me out of the car.

"You're not serious." I whispered to him.

"What do you mean? You spent the better part of your afternoon getting 'beat up'", he said cringing at the last part of what he said, "but you balk at a little dancing."

"It's not the dancing. Won't it look a little odd that we are out to dinner and I am the only one eating?"I said through almost clenched teeth.

"Trust me Bella, no one will even care. Places like this are used to catering to the whim and whimsy of the wealthy."

I felt like a complete heel. Here he was trying to take me out to dinner like a normal guy would with his fiancé' and I was ruining it for him.

"I'm sorry." I mumbled.

'Don't be ridiculous Bella. Don't apologize when you have done nothing wrong." Before I could open my mouth he added one more thing. "and don't say you're sorry for being sorry."

When we got inside, Edward nodded to the host. "Reservation for 2 under Cullen"

"Certainly Dr. Cullen. Right this way" He said motioning to a waiter who rushed over to us with menus in hand.

"Doctor?" I mouthed looking at him. Edward didn't respond until we were seated and the waiter left.

He shrugged "I do have 2 medical degrees and although I don't practice, using the title allows me more advantages than a simple Edward Cullen 17 year old boy would."

"But I love simple Edward Cullen, 17 year old boy." I smiled at him and he took my hand in his rubbing his thumb over my knuckles.

"And you thought I was the one to dazzle you, my dear Bella. I am the one that is dazzled."

My breath hitched and I suddenly wanted everyone else to disappear so I could have Edward all to myself.

"Maybe you should look at the menu, Bella" He added with a knowing grin.

"Uh, yes, food" I nodded absently.

I had never been intimidated by a menu before but I was now. Granted, a big night out for Charlie was dinner at the Lodge and Renee, well, Outback was a treat but I didn't even understand what I was looking at. And the prices, where were the prices?

With a look of chagrin on his face, I realized that Edward noticed my predicament. Highly embarrassed now, I bit my lower lip feeling very inadequate.

"Would you like me to order for you Bella?"

My savior. "Yes, please." I answered.

After the waiter took our order, Edward turned back to me. A low growl escaped him and then he laughed lightly shaking his head.

"What?" I asked curiously.

"It's nothing"

"Tell me."

He again took my hand in his. "I am having a bit of a problem with my more baser instincts at the moment. You see, nearly all the men in here are looking at you and thinking of all the ways they would like to get that dress off of you."

I blushed furiously. "You're joking." I looked around the room wondering whose thoughts Edward was reading. With a tug of his hand on mine, he brought my attention back to him.

He shook his head. "No, really. I'm not" Then he sighed. "I wish just for once, Bella that you could see yourself as I see you." He smiled again. "C'mon, let's dance."

Horrified now, he pulled me to the dance floor where other couples were dancing a waltz of some sort. He wrapped his arms around me and a deep part of me knew that Edward was quietly staking his claim on me for all others to see.

The rest of the night was magical and thankfully without incident. It pleased me that Edward wanted to do "normal" things with me, another testament to just how much he loved me.

When we got back to my place, I was exhausted. He helped me with my zipper again and I put my sweats on with relief to be so comfortable again. I laid in Edwards arms as he hummed me to sleep with my lullabye.

That is when the nightmares came.

_Suddenly I was 13 again, back in that basement chained to the dilapidated pink canopy bed that HE got for me. I could hear the drips from pipes overhead and the smell of death was pungent and everywhere. Grady was leaning over a woman with dark brown hair pumping himself in between her legs with his hands around her neck. I couldn't see her face._

"_Please stop. Please don't hurt her. Please." I begged tugging at my restraints. I felt the pain of my broken wrists shoot up my arms. I had broken them trying to struggle free._

_Grady laughed "This is for you my sweet Izzy. All for you" He looked up at me and I saw the woman lying beneath him. It was me, at 18, with my eyes glazed over in death staring back at me._

_I screamed…_

And screamed and screamed.

"Bella! Bella!" I heard from a foggy distance. It was Edward. He was trying to shake me awake. When my conscienness was aware of this I stopped screaming. But the tears were still streaming down my face. He held me tightly in his embrace and rocked me back and forth trying to comfort me. I clutched his arms not wanting him to let me go.

"it's just a dream" He soothed. "Just a dream."

If only he knew, I thought. "Please don't let go" I pleaded.

"Never" He said "I'm right here" He kissed my head and held me as tight as he would allow without hurting me.

After a few moments, Edward spoke again. "Would you like to tell me about it?"

I shook my head. "There's nothing to tell."

He sighed. "Bella, you were screaming 'please don't hurt her' in your sleep. Who was being hurt?"

"No one. The nightmare has faded already. I can barely remember it."

He turned me to face him looking like he clearly disbelieved me. "This wasn't like your usual nightmares." He started. "It was like you were reliving a memory."

Oh how right he was. Grady was coming and he was coming for me. It was only a matter of time and I prayed the outcome wouldn't kill us all.


	4. Decisions and Visions

Edward POV

The violence of Bella's nightmare scared me more than I let on. I thought about it as I held her close, her slight form still shaking from silent sobs. I was frustrated that she wouldn't let me in her mind, let me know what the dream was about. She had always suffered from nightmares especially since I had left her last year. She still endured silently through the nightmares of me leaving her as much as she tried to tell me she didn't. I am the one that watched her sleep after all. But this was different. I could feel it. And once again that deep feeling of foreboding overcame me.

"Can you please tell me Bella?" I tried one final attempt at coaxing her. Call me stubborn but then again so was she. "I can't help you if you won't let me in."

She shook her head still holding onto my embrace. "You can't protect me from my own mind Edward. No matter how much you would like to." She looked at me then with a soulful expression in her deep brown eyes. "Just hold me while I try to fall asleep again."

"Anything, my Bella" I said as I rocked her gently back to sleep once more.

Bella POV

In the morning Edward was gone. In his stead was a perfectly scripted note from him.

Bella My Love,

Left with the boys to pick up "hunting" supplies. I shall see you later. Take care of my heart, I left it with you.

Yours Forever,

Edward

I smiled. His notes always warmed my heart. The phone rang suddenly. I jumped and regretted doing so. My whole body screamed in protest. Muscles aching, I picked up the ringing phone. It was Alice.

"Hey Bella!" Her cheerful voice sounded through the phone.

"Hey Alice. What's up?" I knew she was calling for gossip about last night.

"So how did it go?"

"It was…" how did I describe last night? "Perfect, more than perfect."

"That's' terrific. And the dress?"

"It was beautiful. Just as you predicted."

"I knew it." She said sounded smug. Alice always loved to be right. "So, I thought maybe we can do something about your nails today."

"My nails?" I questioned her looking at the objects of her concern. I winced. They could be in better shape considering I had been practically gnawing them lately.

"Yes!" She said as if it weren't obvious. "We need to start getting them up to par for your big day. It would be so much easier if you stopped biting them."

"Yes Mom" I answered.

She laughed then. "I was also thinking…"

"Yes Alice"

"Well" she dragged out. "While the boys are away I was wondering if you wanted to come over for a sleepover. You know like old times except I won't be holding you hostage this time."

Of course she was referring to the time that Edward bribed her with a Porsche to keep me at their house so I wouldn't see Jacob. But since there was somewhat of a truce in place and Jacob was nowhere around since I said "yes" to Edward, it would be by consent this time. I knew that staying with Alice was the safest choice for me right now. Although I did not want to risk the chance of Will Grady popping by I didn't want to tempt fate by being on my own while Edward was away. I needed to take every precaution possible to stay safe. I knew the minute I was no longer of this earth, Edward wouldn't be far behind me and that would destroy the whole Cullen family.

"Bella? Are you still there?" Alice questioned when she didn't get a response.

"Uh, yeah Alice. That would be great. We'll have so much fun." She squealed.

"I'll come over right after my Karate class tomorrow. We can go shopping and everything."

"Great. I'll see you in little while for your manicure. Oh and take some Motrin for the muscle pain. It will help."

I sat with Alice in the Cullen living room a few hours later as she was filing my nails.. I could tell something was one her mind but waited patiently as she chose a crimson color for me. Inwardly I cringed. Not my color but I kept my mouth shut.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?" she asked trepidation in her tone.

"What is it Alice?" What's bothering you?"

"Are you 100% sure about marrying Edward? I mean you would still be my sister regardless but…"

I startled, thinking where did that come from? "I can't wait to be Edward's wife" I answered honestly.

"But before…"

"I did have some reservations, yes, but not about marrying Edward. There was never any doubt about that. But about getting married at 18. I'm over that now."

She let out a relieved breath. "Good" but her eyebrows furrowed as if she was thinking really hard.

"Now it's my turn to ask you a question." She looked at me. "What prompted you to ask that?"

She seemed to consider her answer before speaking. "Well…I have tried to see visions of your future and I get nothing but blurry images and I can't focus on any of them."

"Maybe it's the wolves. Maybe Jacob decided to come back."

She shook her head. "No. If that were the case, I wouldn't see anything at all. When I look into Edwards's future, I see blurry images as well."

I could tell this was really bothering her and so it bothered me. "Why?" I asked suddenly scared.

"I'm not sure but I think it's because your futures are so intricately linked. What happens to one affects the other."

"Maybe he has changed his mind about marrying me." I said in a small voice, the beginning of panic starting to set in at the thought of him leaving again. Alice grabbed my suddenly trembling hands in hers.

"Oh no, Bella, no!" She said horrified. "Never think that. Marrying you, finally making you his, is what he wants with every fiber of his being. He loves you so."

"Yes but that didn't stop him from leaving before"

"Bella please believe me. He would not leave you voluntarily. Ever. Never doubt that."

But the seed of doubt had already been planted. I shook my head to dispel that train of thought. Then another, more obvious reason came to me.

He was coming. That's why my future was blurry. He was on his way to Forks but hadn't decided a course of action yet. Did I tell Alice or not? Not, I decided quickly. No, this was something I had to handle on my own. I could not expose this family, who had done so much for me, to more danger. Danger of exposing themselves, danger of becoming what they tried so hard to fight against. It would only force Edward to want to kill and regardless of the fact that he was a vampire, he was not a murderer.

Alice POV

I could've kicked myself the moment I said anything about Edward's blurry future. Bella would automatically question herself and Edward's feelings for her. I should've known. Stupid Alice.

I was still chastising myself well after Bella left to go playing at Jet Li. Edward, Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle came in from purchasing their supplies for their short hunting trip. Jasper picked up on my mood as soon as they walked in the door and ran over to my side.

"Alice, what is it?" He asked concerned, touching my cheek with his hand.

"I'm afraid I've made a horrible mistake." _I'm so sorry Edward. _

I knew he could read my thoughts and he rolled his eyes. 'I'm sure whatever it is Alice, it can't be that bad."

"Yeah, what's the pixie done now?" Emmett said with a smile on his face.

"I think Bella may need some reassurance that you still want to marry her."

"Explain, please" Edward said through clenched teeth. Carlisle put a restraining hand on his shoulder. This was going to be harder than I thought.

"Well, you see, Bella was here earlier. I was giving her a manicure. Really, her nails are atrocious and I need to get them in better shape for the wedding." I was rambling.

"Alice." Edward growled warning me not to subtly to cease my babbling.

'Okay. Well, I had been getting visions of her future and they were so blurry. So I asked her if she still wanted to marry you. But she was insistent that she did and I mentioned that your future was blurry too and…"

"Wait a minute. Go back." Edward demanded. "What about your visions?"

I rolled my eyes. "Honestly Edward. Can I finish?"

He nodded. "Continue"

"As I was saying, your future was blurry too and I figured that was because your future and hers are so linked. So she came to the conclusion that maybe you were having second thoughts about marrying her. I tried to convince her that wasn't the case but…" A sudden thought occurred to me and my eyes narrowed at Edward. "You still want to marry her, don't you?"

He looked affronted. "Of course I do Alice. Nothing will change my mind about that."

"Okay. Just checking. Well I tried to tell Bella that and I really don't know if she believed me so you need to go over there and convince her. I'm so sorry Edward."

He ran his hand through his hair and then pinched the bridge of his nose. "Rest assured, I will go over there but first I want to hear about these visions."

'Forget the damn visions" I shouted. Why couldn't he see that my visions could be faulty and they were secondary to what Bella was feeling?

"Alice, please show Edward your visions." Carlisle finally said. "He won't relent until you do."

"Fine." I said crossing my arms over my chest and showed Edward exactly what I saw.

Edward frowned trying to make sense to what I couldn't. He couldn't explain it either.

"What are you seeing?" Jasper asked.

"Just as Alice said. Blurry images and image shifts. I can't get a lock on anything."

"Hmm, this is interesting." Carlisle said deep in thought. "The only thing I can think of since Bella and Edward are both sure of their path is some outside force wants to do something to alter the outcome of their lives but hasn't made a decision yet."

"Of course." I exclaimed. "But what or who?"

I looked over at Edward. He was tense. This was not the news he wanted to hear. His fists were clenched at his sides and I knew Jasper was trying to calm him down.

"Can you check on the Volturi? What are they up to?" Carlisle asked.

"You don't think, after everything, that they would do anything now?" Edward sounded horrified.

"No, Edward" Carlisle answered. "But it can't hurt to be sure. Alice?" He said prompting me.

Edward POV

Would fate ever stop to conspire against us? I thought. It seemed every time I felt close to eternal happiness, something was posed to rip it away.

Of course I was worried about what Bella was now thinking after her conversation with Alice. Surely she couldn't still believe I would leave her after all the times I told her I couldn't. But this was Bella. Of course she would believe the worst. However, I was more concerned at the moment with Alice's visions or lack thereof.

"Don't worry, bro. We can kick Volturi ass." Emmett said to me always ready for a fight. I smirked thinking of how I would like to do the same.

Suddenly I was in Alice's vision. The Volturi were opening what looked to be an invitation.

"Ahh" she said. "They received the wedding invitation. Oh, they're not coming, of course. They will send a very nice gift, however."

"You invited the Volturi." I seethed. "Why was I just informed of this?" With my luck they would change their minds and ascend on Forks to destroy our day of happiness.

"Relax Edward." Carlisle said putting a hand on my shoulder." They had to be invited. It would be considered an enormous slight on our part not to. Offending them after everything is the last thing we want to do."

Okay, I thought. That made sense. 'So, no Volturi threat. Anyone else that wants to destroy my future?"

"Well it couldn't hurt to check the Denali clan." Jasper spoke up. "Tanya did have quite the thing for you."

"Denali's. Right." Alice said concentrating once again. "Well. They are coming to the wedding. But not to stop it. They are more interested in meeting the human pet that Edward felt he had to marry."

I growled then from deep inside. Bella was not my pet. She was the love of my existence.

Alice held up her hand in surrender. "Not my words, I assure you." She said.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned." Emmett joked. "I should know."

"Shut up Emmett. Why don't you go find your wife?" Alice said

"She's tinkering under the jeep again." He said with just a hint of brooding in his tone.

"Focus" I interrupted. "So, no interference from them regardless of how they perceive Bella. And the wolves?"

"I won't be able to see them Edward. I'm sorry." She hung her head disappointed that we were stuck without an answer.

'It's okay Alice. You tried." Carlisle comforted.

"Look. It's obvious we're not getting any answers today. Bella's probably done with her karate now so why don't you go see her?" Alice said to me.

I cringed at the word 'karate'. She had been going everyday like a woman obsessed. I was terrified that she would seriously get hurt.

"Bella's taking karate?" Emmett asked. "Oh man. I would pay to see this." He laughed.

"Shut up Emmett." I growled at him.

"Oh, one more thing before you go Edward." Alice said to me as I was headed for the door. 'Bella agreed to stay over while you are away. I didn't even have to plead or bribe her." Alice seemed very proud of herself.

I, on the other hand, couldn't help but feel concerned. This was very un-Bella like behavior and I had to wonder if there was something very wrong going on, something that I should be worried about. The feeling stayed with me the whole drive to Bella's.


	5. Drowning Dreams

Bella POV

I let the hot water of the bath soothe my aching muscles. It wasn't a good idea to push my physical limits and limited they were. But I didn't have much of a choice. The steam from the bath was making me sleepy and I let my eyes slowly drift shut.

_I was back in that basement again, being taunted by Grady. The dripping from the pipes was getting louder now. _

"_Don't hurt her." I pleaded watching my tormenter, my captor strangle the woman before my eyes._

_Suddenly he dropped her in a tank of water. Where did that come from? Strangling her as he drowned her. The woman turned to me with a desperate look in her dying eyes. The woman was me._

_I was gasping for air. My hands went to my neck to stop the pressure of Grady's fingers from around my throat. I kicked in the water feeling it splash around me. Grady laughed at the futility of my efforts. "You will always be mine." He leered. I couldn't breathe, I was dying._

_From a foggy distance I heard Edward, my angel, shouting out to me, frantic with worry._

"Bella! Bella! Oh, God. Please Bella!"

I wanted to soothe his fears but I couldn't seem to form the words. Suddenly I wasn't being drowned anymore. I felt the cold air as a shock over my skin.

I gasped for air and felt it wash through my lungs. Mustering up the strength I opened my eyes. I was in Edward's arms. He was smoothing the hair from my face and rocking me in his arms on the bathroom floor.

He buried his face in my neck and sobbed. Did vampires sob? I thought.

"Oh God Bella. I thought I lost you." He looked at me then, the sheer anguish in his face stabbing through me like a knife.

Edward POV

I rushed over to Bella's determined to appease her fears. There was no way I could let her think I had changed my mind about marrying her. As if I could. Marrying Bella and spending eternity with her was the beacon of light in my dark existence.

As I approached Bella's house, I got the sense that something was not quite right. Listening closely, I heard it; water splashing and Bella moaning. Without consideration to who might see me, I ran into Bella's house and up the stairs.

"Bella! Bella! Answer me!"

The water was still splashing and the closer I got to the sound, the more it sounded like a struggle. I ran into the bathroom, the source of the sounds and the sight that greeted me would've made my heart stop, if I had a heart.

There was Bella, seemingly asleep, flailing and drowning in the bathtub.

"Bella! Bella! Oh, God. Please Bella!" I shouted frantically.

I lifted her quickly holding her tightly against me. So full of shock and remorse, my legs could no longer hold me and I sunk down onto the bathroom floor holding Bella in my lap. She gasped a breath and it was the most beautiful sound I ever heard. With trembling hands, I pushed the hair from her eyes and buried my face in the crook of her neck to inhale her scent. I felt such relief at that moment; I couldn't help the tearless shaking sobs that escaped me.

"Oh God Bella. I thought I lost you." I had to look into her face then. Her brown eyes looked back at me filled with confusion and concern.

"What happened?" She asked. I felt her shivering and with one hand I grabbed a towel to cover her, not wanting to relinquish my hold for even a second. I answered her as soon as I could find my voice.

"I was hoping you could tell me. I came over here and when I found you, you were drowning in the bath."

She sat up, wrapping the towel more tightly around her but I could still not let her go.

"I must've fallen asleep while I was bathing." She said still sounding confused.

"Fallen asleep while you were…? Bella, you almost died. If I arrived a few minutes later…" I shook with the thought of it. I couldn't even finish the sentence. The vision of Bella's lifeless form floating in there was more than I could contemplate.

Her hand came up to caress my cheek and I held it there with my own, relishing its warmth.

"But you didn't and I'm okay. That's all that matters." She was comforting me? I thought disbelievingly.

I shook my head then. "Who would think that something as benign as a bathtub could prove to be so dangerous?"

"This is me, remember?" Bella said. "I guess the heat of the water put me to sleep."

I laughed with a humor I did not feel. "Maybe you should take colder baths then."

"That would defeat the purpose."

"Of what?" I asked curiously.

"Well, my muscles were really sore and I heard a good remedy for that was a hot bath."

I held her tighter to me and buried my face in her hair. "Not that good a remedy, love, considering."

She shivered again and I knew it was time to get off the floor. I carried her to her room.

"Well now that you've seen me naked, there's no point in turning your back while I get dressed." Bella said nonchalantly.

I rolled my eyes. As if I even noticed that when I thought she was so near death. But now that she mentioned it, I couldn't help but take notice.

She was perfect. Her limbs so lithe and delicate. I imagined my fingers tracing patterns on her bare skin. She looked at me impishly as if she knew where my thoughts were heading. I harrumphed and turned my back until she was finished getting dressed.

"Okay. I'm decent."

I turned around and immediately puller her back into my arms. "Never scare me like that again." I whispered in her ear.

"I guess I won't be taking any baths for awhile." Was her only answer. "Not that I'm complaining or anything but _why_ are you here now?"

With everything that just happened, I honestly forgot until that moment what my original purpose was for coming over. I ran my fingers through my hair, not knowing where to start. "I was concerned. Alice told me about the conversation the two of you had earlier and knowing your affinity to assume the worst, I wanted to make sure you understood how dedicated I am to marrying you."

She seemed flustered and blushed. "Oh, that"

I nodded trying to read her thoughts from her expressions.

"I know Edward"

"You do? You're not worried about Alice's visions?"

"Oh, I'm worried about her visions but not for the reasons you think. I know you want to marry me as I want to marry you."

"We checked with the Volturi and the Denali clan but found no threat from either of them. I promise you this Bella, we will have our happy ever after."

Bella POV

Edward looked deep into my eyes. "I promise you this Bella, we will have our happy ever after."

I nodded not knowing what to say. Of course Alice couldn't see where the threat was coming from because she didn't even know Grady existed. I was glad she checked though if only for process of elimination.

The ringing of Edward's phone jolted both of our thoughts.

"It's Alice." He muttered answering the call. "Hello Alice….yes, she's fine…yes, it was a near thing….I'm fine too. Now. However, I will never look at a bathtub the same way again…hold on, I'll ask her." Edward looked at me. "Alice wants us to come over there ASAP. She wants to assure herself that you are alright and it wouldn't hurt to have Carlisle look at you."

I nodded in consent.

"Okay Alice. We'll be over soon…Okay, I'll tell her. Bye Alice."

"What?" I asked wondering what Alice wanted Edward to tell me.

He smiled then, the first genuine smile he gave since he arrived. "She is threatening to install safety equipment in here. The type that they have in retirement homes.

I grumbled. "Does everyone know about this?" I was going to die from embarrassment, I knew it. He nodded, smiling wider.

"Even Emmett?"

He nodded again.

"Great." I muttered. "What are we waiting for? Let's go?"


	6. He's Coming for You

Bella POV

When we arrived at Edward's house, he leaned over to me and twirled my still wet hair in his fingers.

"We should've dried your hair before we left." He said, "You'll catch a cold."

"It's fine." I replied, mumbling. "It's summer."

Everyone seemed to be in the living room when we stepped into the house. Rosalie was sitting on Emmett's lap as he twirled a basketball on his finger. Alice and Jasper were playing chess. Esme was pretending to dust and Carlisle stood at the top of the stairs. The scene looked too normal and it was then that I realized they were waiting for our arrival. All of a sudden, I felt like I was on display.

Emmett was the first to break the silence. "Hey Bella, I heard you tried to go cliff diving in your bathtub." He laughed.

I felt my face turn beet red and Edward just growled at him, knocking the basketball from him onto the floor.

"C'mon Bella, let's have a look at you." Carlisle said.

Edward followed me into Carlisle's office and leaned his body against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as I climbed on the examining table.

Carlisle checked my blood pressure, which was thankfully and surprisingly normal. He then checked my eyes with his penlight and I knew judging by the concerned expression on his face that he could see the faint purple smudges under my eyes.

"Have you been getting enough sleep?" He asked.

"She's been having nightmares." Edward replied.

"I can answer for myself you know" I told Edward a little disgruntled that he answered for me as if I weren't there.

"But would you tell the truth?" Edward queried, cocking an eyebrow. I resisted the childish urge to stick my tongue out at him.

"Well in light of the current circumstances," Carlisle said, "I don't think I need to lecture you on the adverse effects fatigue can cause. We're just lucky you weren't in your car at the time."

I could've sworn I heard something break just then and I looked at Edward. He didn't appear to have moved but Carlisle looked at him to. Edward just shrugged his shoulders.

"I can give you something to help you sleep." Carlisle suggested.

"No!" I was adamant. I couldn't take the chance of not having all my faculties about me.

"Okay Bella. No one is going to force you but you need to try to get a good night's sleep."

Edward stepped away from the wall, coming closer to me, his expression thoughtful as if he were considering something.

"Maybe, I should just cancel the hunting trip." He said.

What? No way! Not for me, he wasn't.

"No" I said forcefully. "You will do no such thing. They're just nightmares, Edward."

He didn't look too convinced.

"For crying out loud Edward," Rosalie shouted from downstairs. Thank goodness for vampire hearing. "Her life is going to be changing, quite literally. I'd be worried if she wasn't having nightmares."

"Thanks, Rosalie!" I shouted back before addressing Edward in my normal tone. I took his hand in mine. "Listen, Edward. You said yourself. You need this trip."

"That was before this happened"

"You will not stay home because of me. I'll even stay here tonight too with the girls since you're leaving later tonight."

"I don't know" Edward said looking at me as if he were trying to figure me out.

Carlisle, apparently having enough of our quibble, interrupted then to pull Edward out of the door. "We'll be right back." He said and closed the door behind him.

EDWARD POV

Carlisle pulled me into the hall and shut the door behind him.

"Edward, she's fine. A little tired but fine. I know it makes you anxious being away from her under the best of circumstances."

"Anxious is a bit if an understatement." I replied. Terrified would be more of an apt term.

"Yes, well. Still. The two of you seem so intent on not making the other feel guilty that you're consumed with it."

"What do you mean?"

Carlisle sighed. "She feels guilty if you stay behind for her and you feel guilty if you don't." Carlisle put his hands on my shoulders. "Son, she'll be fine. She'll stay here until we get back. You know neither Esme nor your sisters would let anything happen to her."

"I'm not too sure about Rosalie." I muttered but my position on not going was waning. I couldn't argue with both Carlisle and Bella.

"You give your sister too little credit."

We went back into the office. Bella was watching us expectantly.

"You win." I said. She ran over to me and I enveloped her in my arms, holding her as close as I dared.

"Yeah!" I heard Alice exclaim from downstairs and I knew it wasn't because she had won another chess game. I could hear her thoughts on all the shops she planned to drag Bella to and I winced for Bella's sake.

Later as we lay together in my room with her fingers tracing patterns on my chest, I thought back to the conversation Carlisle had with me earlier about guilt.

"Bella, can I ask you a question?" Her feather –like touches stopped and she looked at me with such an expression that I almost laughed.

"What is it?" She asked hesitantly.

"Do you feel guilty that I worry about you?"

She paused a moment as if to contemplate her words. "Promise you won't get mad?" she said and I had my answer.

"I won't get mad." I promised, turning my face into her hair. As if on cue, her breathing hitched.

"I do." She said in a soft voice.

"Why is that?" I was very curious now. She took her time with the answer and it frustrated me that couldn't read her thoughts as she would surely edit her reply for my benefit.

"Because it's not fair to you to have to worry about me all the time just because I'm human with human frailties. You and your family lived a relatively peaceful existence until you met me and look at how I screwed everything up for all of you. To think you can't go out and have fun without me because you would worry that I can't help but get myself in trouble or feel guilty for leaving. All of that makes me feel guilty, amongst other things."

As Bella spoke, I felt myself getting angrier and angrier at her words. Was this how she really felt? How could I be so blind and not see it? Did she really think that I felt I was missing out on some sort of fun because I was worried about her. Of course I worried about her but did she not understand that she was the center of my existence and my life was meaningless without her in it or did she feel guilty about that too?

I kissed her then because I couldn't find the words to speak. Finally pulling back, I looked into her eyes.

"Bella, please don't feel guilty because I worry. In case you haven't noticed, that's one of the things I do best." I gave her a self deprecating smile. "And never think that you 'screwed' anything up for my family. You have become the heart of us and we love you."

Tears leaked from the corners of her eyes tracing down her temples and into her hair. I gently kissed the tears away, tasting their salt on my tongue.

"I love you Bella. You brought light into my dark existence. Never feel guilty for that." She nodded. 'Now sleep for me."

I hummed her lullaby and watched as her eyes closed in slumber. Hopefully there would be no nightmares tonight.

BELLA POV

When I woke up, Edward was gone. The new day's sunlight was streaming through the floor to ceiling windows in Edward's room. As I stretched out on the bed, I felt a piece of paper on the pillow next to me.

_My Love,_

_ I shall back soon. Missing you already. Stay safe._

_ Eternally yours,_

_ Edward_

I smiled happily holding his words close to my heart. Alice bounded in the room just then and pounced on the bed.

"I saw you get up." She said in answer to my unasked question. "At least my short term visions are still working. Although more short term than I would like." She shrugged. "We can't go out right now since it's sunny out but I have confirmation that Seattle will be under complete overcast later."

Really? How could she be so chipper this early? I still hadn't cleared the cobwebs from my brain from sleep and she was acting like Katie Couric on crack. Oh, that's right. She did not sleep. Yeah I was awake.

"Um, that's okay Alice. I have a Karate lesson this morning."

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose you'll be needing a shower afterwards then." She sounded so disappointed at me need for personal hygiene delaying her shopping excursion that I had to laugh.

"Can I have a human minute?" I asked.

"Oh sure, sure. And don't forget to check your voice mail. You have a message on it." She must have noticed my horrified expression. "Don't worry, I didn't listen to it. I just heard your phone ring about an hour ago. I was told under no circumstances to wake you up by orders of the supreme Edward." She said as she danced out of the room.

Once I was sure she was gone and hopefully out of hearing distance, I checked my voice mail. It was a Phoenix number and I was certain it was Detective Conner's number.

"_Bella…I'm getting on a flight to Forks now. He's found you. He went to your old residence and the new owners told him where you were. I don't know how long he's been there. I'm so sorry Bella…."_

I didn't even hear the rest of the message as the phone dropped from my now listless hand onto the floor. Only one phrase kept reverberating through my head. "_ I don't know how long he's been there" _My God, what if he's been watching me? What if he's seen me with Edward? Where is he right this minute?


	7. The Taking

Thanks for all the great comments. I hope you all enjoy this chapter.

Bella POV

There was no escaping from the reality now, I realized. I was just fooling myself trying to keep the dangers at bay with my futile attempts. I also realized that could not keep the Cullens or Charlie in the dark any longer. Now was not the time to tell them however. I needed to do a few things first before explaining all.

I called Detective Conner back first and was met with his voice mail message. I quickly left a message to meet me at the Karate studio at 12 making sure I gave him the address. Although I did want to tell Edward's family on my own before they found out from anyone else, I also knew that I did not want to tempt fate. All things considered, I have been quite lucky.

The smell of bacon and eggs wafted from the kitchen and I went downstairs to wee Esme cooking. Alice was sitting on the counter top watching her curiously.

"Esme, you didn't have to cook for me." I said.

"Nonsense," She replied touching my cheek in motherly affection. "Physical activity takes a lot of energy. You need your protein."

"Besides, "Alice chimed in, "Edward would kill us if he found out we weren't feeding you. Though, ugh, how can you eat that?"

I shrugged. "It's an acquired taste I guess, kind of like mountain lion." They both laughed at my sarcastic humor as I stuck a piece of bacon in my mouth and chewed. "mmm, perfect"

Esme's smile lit up her already beautiful face.

"When will you be back?" Alice asked, her anxiousness to go shopping evident in her pixie face.

When would I be back? I thought to myself. "I'm not sure. In a few hours I guess. Class is usually an hour and a half and don't forget, I need a shower before we go."

"Yes, yes, I didn't forget."

I ate Esme's breakfast quickly. There was a stop I needed to make before going to the karate school.

"I hate to eat and run but I have a stop to somewhere before my class starts"

This got Alice's curiosity up. "You're not going to La Push are you?"

"No, I have to go to the store and purchase some female products."

She held up her hand to halt me from saying anything further. "Got it. No need to say anymore."

I grinned with a humor I did not feel. "See you later." I waved as I walked out of the front door.

I pulled into the Forks police station that I had been in many times before but never under the circumstances I found myself in now.

The inside seemed desolate and quiet without Charlie there heaping orders on his small staff. In Forks, a large police station wasn't a necessity. I think there were 10 police officers in all.

I didn't recognize the only officer on duty at the station. He was middle aged, round in the middle and was playing solitaire with want for anything else to do. Forks tax dollars hard at work I thought. I scanned the station to see if there was anyone else around that I knew, maybe I had missed someone but as my luck would have it, he was the only one around.

"Excuse me." I said.

The officer looked up at me clearly not happy that I interrupted his little card game. "Can I help you?"

I hope so, Officer…?"

"Wilbur, Officer Wilbur."

Bond, James Bond, I thought…not. "Um hi. You must be new here. I've never seen you before."

His eyes narrowed at me suspiciously. "Just transferred. And you are?"

"Oh, I'm Isabella Swan. My dad's the chief of police here."

"Well, Isabella Swan. I'm sure you are aware, you're daddy's not here."

Did he just sneer at me? This was not going to go well at all.

"I am aware of that, thank you but I have come on an urgent professional matter."

Wilbur sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest looking almost amused.

"A professional matter, huh? And what might that professional matter be?"

"I need police protection."

Wilbur was laughing now so hard his jowls shook. Then he stopped to look at me in all seriousness.

"Don't you kids have anything better to do than prank police officers?"

"You don't understand," I said my voice starting to shake. "There is a serial killer after me. He's escaped from prison and he's coming here. Look this can all be verified." I gave him Detective Connor's contact information, which he crumpled up and threw in the garbage like he was playing basketball.

"It's a creative story but I'm not buying it."

"He's going to kill me!" I screamed at him.

Wilbur snapped in anger. "Listen here young lady. I will not tolerate you teenagers coming in here with no respect for authority. You should be ashamed of yourself being that you're the Chief's daughter."

I clenched my teeth shaking in anger. "No you listen, you self important small town hick. You call anyone of the officers on the radio and they'll tell you, I don't play games."

But it was futile. Wilbur had already tuned me out and went back to playing solitaire.

"Please…" I begged once more and got no reaction. Dejected, I left and got into my truck. Angry sobs escaped me as I beat up on my steering wheel. I tried, I tried to do the right thing, the safe thing and it got me nowhere. I would just have to wait until noon.

I peeled out of the parking lot, my truck screeching in protest and drove to the karate school. It looked like everyone was already inside. I tripped out of the truck still reeling from my encounter with the stupid cop and slammed the door.

Shit, I left my purse inside. I grumbled and fought with the door to open it and reached over to grab my bag which was all the way on the other side if the seat. As soon as I grabbed it, I heard a voice I never wanted to hear again.

"So nice to see you again Izzy." The voice was rough like sandpaper and chilled me to the core. I clenched my eyes shut in fear. Then I realized, I head a weapon in my hands. I grabbed my purse and swung it around towards him hoping to catch him off guard and hit him in the head. The only thing that ended up happening, however, was the contents of my bag spilling all over the place.

"Now is that the way to greet an old friend?" He asked grabbing my purse from me and tossing it out of reach. I got a good look at him then. He was bigger with the same dark greasy hair I remembered though it was shorter now. His eyes still held the depravity it always did and I shivered in horror.

"I was never your friend." I said, trying to find a way to run away. Wait was that a gun he had pointed at me. We hadn't done the class yet where we learned how to knock a weapon from an opponent's hand. I was panicking now. Wasn't there anyone around that could help me?

"No" Grady said smoothly, "I was never your friend but so much more."

"You wish." I said. As long as I could keep him talking, the better chance I had in getting away.

"Yes, I did. But you were young then, not ready. But now look at you. All grown up ..." His eyes roamed over me from head to toe, when he finally looked back at my face, he licked his lips. I felt nauseous.

"What do you want?"

"Why, you of course. I thought you would've figured that out by now. You were always such a smart girl."

"Well, you can't have me." I lunged for him, not caring about the gun he held. I only knew I would rather die than have him take me again.

Surprisingly didn't shoot me but held me in place with both of him arms locked around me.

"Now Izzy, I don't want to hurt you." He whispered in my ear making me cringe.

"Then don't"

He started to pull me then to a car. I tried kicking him but to no avail. His hold on me was too strong and I wasn't at an angle where I could do any damage.

"Behave" He hissed "Or do you see that woman across the street?" I looked at the woman coming out of the store. He felt me nod. "Well I'll kill her without a second glance. You don't want another death on your conscience, do you?"

I was defeated. My whole body went limp as my tormentor pushed me in his car and slammed the door shut. "That's better." He said nodding his head.

My last thoughts as we drove away from safety were of Edward. Please find me I thought, pressing my hand against the cold window. I could almost feel him touching me back.


	8. Too Late

Alice POV

Esme, Rosalie and I were looking over lingerie catalogues for ideas for Bella's wedding night. As far as I could tell, nothing held any appeal. If only Bella would let me take her to New York or better yet, Paris, I was sure we would find something glorious. But no, Bella said she didn't want to go far so we were stuck with the typical mall offerings. Ugh!

"I like that one." Rosalie said pointing to a tacky tiger print number that pushed everything in and up.

I rolled my eyes. "We want Edward to make love to her not eat her." Sure, I thought. Dress her up as one of his favorite meals. "Besides Rosalie, that's more your taste than Bella's. When you and Emmett get married again, I'll buy that one for you."

"I think Bella is more Victoria's Secret than Frederick's of Hollywood." Esme said.

I nodded. Vicki's Secret was more subtle, more suited to Bella.

"Ooh, what about this one." Rosalie exclaimed pointing at a pale pink teddy. That had possibilities but I still wasn't sure. I was thinking more along the lines of white and flowing. I also started to wonder why Rosalie was suddenly enthusiastic. Up until now, she was not a great fan of Bella's and her sudden change of heart worried me more than I cared to admit.

"Uh, Rosalie, can I ask you a question?" I asked her suddenly very curious. She eyed me warily. "Well don't get offended," I continued. "but you seem to be more amenable about the wedding planning than I thought you would be. I thought you didn't like Bella."

I could tell Esme was also interested in the answer and we both looked at Rosalie for a response. She seemed to consider her words carefully before speaking.

"It's not that I don't like Bella, per se. It's just that I don't like some of the choices she is making. You both know I would not have chosen this life. I've made no secret of that."

I tried to reconcile what I knew of Rosalie to what she was saying and couldn't. "Yes," I said "but forgive me for saying this but Emmett was human before you changed him and he wasn't given a choice either. You chose this life for him and he loves you anyway."

She looked away for a moment then looked down. I had never seen her so restrained and so vulnerable. Instantly I felt sorry.

"Yes." She whispered. "Edward had already brought that up to me. When I had a chance to really think on it, I knew he was right. I took away Emmett's choice and I changed him out of love and have never regretted it. Bella is getting to choose with full knowledge of what this life entails and she chose this life anyway out of love for Edward. I can no longer fault her for it when what I did was so much worse. I only hope she doesn't come to regret her decision."

Both Esme and I reached out to grab Rosalie's hands in support and comfort.

"I'm sorry for coming off so harsh" I apologized.

She touched my hand on hers briefly. "Oh Alice, it's not like I didn't deserve it. If you're really sorry you can buy me some lingerie too."

"Hmm," Esme said thoughtfully, "I wonder if they have one in bear print."

We all laughed knowing Emmett's preference for angry grizzly bears. It hadn't occurred to me until just then as I glanced at the clock how late it had gotten.

"Bella should have been here by now." I said.

Suddenly, I was thrown into a vision.

_What do you want?" _

"_Why, you of course. I thought you would've figured that out by now. You were always such a smart girl."_

"_Well, you can't have me."She lunged for him, not caring about the gun he held. _

"_Now Izzy, I don't want to hurt you." He whispered in her ear._

"_Then don't"_

_He dragged her to a car. She was kicking at him. _

"_Behave" He hissed "Or do you see that woman across the street? Well I'll kill her without a second glance. You don't want another death on your conscience, do you?"_

_Bella's body went limp as he pushed her in his car and slammed the door shut. "That's better." He said nodding his head._

_She pressed her hand against the window as the car took off speeding._

"Too late" I whispered rocking back and forth. The vision was in the past. How long in the past, I did not know. "Too late, too late." I couldn't help myself from repeating it over and over again.

From a distance, I could hear Esme and Rosalie shouting at me frantically but I was helpless to respond.

"What's too late?"

"Alice, what do you see?"

"Rosalie, call Jasper and tell him to get everyone back right away." Esme cried.

"Too late, too late. He's got her, He's got her." I kept repeating horrorstruck. Whoever _he_ was, he had Bella and I knew that she did not go of her own free will. He was evil and he had our Bella.

"Who has her, Alice? Who has he taken? Is it Bella?" Esme cried trying to shake me out of my state. I was just too shocked to comply.

I could hear Rosalie speaking to Jasper but I was just too much in my mind to shake what I was seeing in my head.

"Jasper, you all need to come home now!" Rosalie shouted into the phone. "I don't know what's wrong….Alice is having a vision…I don't know Jasper. If I did I'd tell you…she just keeps repeating 'it's too late' and 'he's got her'…No, I can't make any sense of it either. Whatever it is, it's bad Jasper, real bad….Yes I assume it's about Bella as well…Of course Edward is going to freak…Just get home now!"

Edward POV

I was full for the moment after taking down 3 grizzlies. I didn't have as much fun "playing with my food" as Emmett did. It was necessary for me to drink the blood of the animals but I didn't want to prolong their deaths. It wasn't humane. Carlisle felt the same way I did which was why the both of us sat by our camp while Emmett and Jasper made a game of their hunt.

"So, Esme's told me all the girl's we going shopping for, uh, wedding night apparel today." Carlisle said conversationally.

"Yeah" I said clearing my throat and grimaced."Bella wanted to experience all the benefits of a wedding night, human. Fool that I am told her we'd try."

"You don't sound too happy about it. Don't you want to make love to your wife?"

"I may be a vampire but I am also a man." I replied.

"That's not what I asked." Carlisle probed.

"Of course I want too." I answered him raking my fingers through my hair. "I want it with every fiber of my being."

"Then what's the problem?"

I looked at him horrified. Was he joking? "I don't even want to contemplate the number of things that can go wrong."

Carlisle placed a comforting hand on my shoulder. "Son, I have complete confidence in your self control. I've seen it first hand when you had to suck James' venom from Bella's hand. You showed more restraint that I think even I could have had."

I winced at the memory of Bella's broken body on the floor of her old ballet studio, writhing in pain. My sobbing please for her to open her eyes and when she finally did, realizing that monster had bit her. The sheer ecstasy I felt as I tasted her blood and the triumph I felt that I had the power to stop.

"I hope your faith in me is not misplaced." I said tossing a rock I held in my hand.

"I'm sure it's not." He paused momentarily before speaking again. "Edward, you don't have to answer this but has Bella ever been intimate with a man before?"

Really? He was asking me this? "No" I finally replied. "It'll be a first for both of us."

Carlisle smiled then. "How wonderful" He sighed.

Suddenly Emmett and Jasper ran into the clearing from the woods, frantic worried expression on their faces.

"We have to go back." Jasper shouted.

I was immediately on my feet, tension coming off me in waves.

"What is it? What's wrong?" Carlisle asked standing up.

"Rosalie called. Alice was having a vision."

"And" I prompted fear edging up my spine.

"Relax Edward; we don't know anything for sure yet."

"And!" I said louder.

"And, I don't know" Jasper said exasperated. "Alice couldn't even talk about it but it seems like it's very bad. I heard Alice in the background. She was repeating the same phrases over and over again. 'it's too late' and 'he's got her'.

"No!" I roared. The vision was about Bella. It had to be. Nothing else would get Alice this upset unless it was about Jasper or anyone else in the family and it clearly wasn't. Running ahead of everyone towards Emmett's jeep, I dialed Bella's cell phone. "C'mon, c'mon pick up, pick up." I pleaded but only her voice mail answered me.

"Bella, when you get this message, please call me right away"

We sped put of the forest as fast as the Jeep would allow. It was a good thing Emmett was driving. I was paralyzed by terror. Someone had taken my Bella.

Alice POV

'We have to go now." I said snapping out of my vision, finally able to speak coherently. I was already running to the door.

"What did you see Alice?" Esme was frantic with worry.

I turned to both Esme and Rosalie knowing my face showed the dread I felt deep within me.

"Someone, some man" I said through clenched teeth "stole our Bella! He just grabbed her and took off with her. I don't know how long ago."

'So where are we going?" Rosalie said as they followed me outside.

"Her truck is still in the parking lot of the karate school. That's where he took her. We're going to see if we can find anything to help us figure this out."

One thing that kept burning in my mind, however, was why didn't I see this _before_ it happened? Bella would have been safe then.


	9. Cryptic Explanations

Bella POV

He drove fast down the road going out of town. I saw the sign "You Are Now Leaving Forks" and I wanted to cry but I refused to let him see that. I had to stay strong for Edward's sake as well as my own.

My options were limited at this point. There was not much I could do while he had a gun so close at hand. I briefly though of my chances of grabbing the steering wheel and crashing the car so I could escape but my luck was never what one could call great and knowing me, I would end up dead if I took that route. Jumping from the moving vehicle was another option I toyed with but I would have to wait until a more opportune time when Grady wasn't driving at such a race car pace.

When would Edward know that I had been taken? I wondered briefly. He was going to be so tortured, so angry. He would take the blame upon himself as usual. I wished I could reach out and comfort him somehow and tell him that none of this was his fault. I made the decision not to tell him in the hopes the police would do their job but as it turned out that avenue was futile.

"I'm very angry with you Izzy." Grady said very conversationally. I wished he would stop calling me by that old name. I did not go by Izzy Swan anymore. Not since the day he was captured. I didn't correct him though. I did not want him to taint any other aspect of my life than he had already.

I didn't respond to hi statement, choosing instead to gaze out the window watching the landscape wiz by in a blur.

"You will look at me when I speak to you." He said angrily grabbing my face to look at him. I winced at the pain and tried to pull away but that only made him squeeze my face tighter. "You were supposed to stay pure for me."

"I don't know what you're talking about." I said. Baiting him was not smart but I could not keep quiet any longer. There was no one with us that he could threaten to hurt if I did not comply.

"I saw you with him. I saw you with that boy." He spat.

I felt the nervous laughter bubble up in me but I kept it down somehow. That Boy was a 109 year old vampire that could kill him before he batted an eye. I couldn't let him know of my relationship with Edward. It would be all over for me if I did.

"He's nothing, just a friend." I said finally wrenching my face free of his grasp.

"No one looks at each other that way unless something else was going on." He said knowingly. And he was right. Any one that saw Edward and me together, even if we weren't kissing would know what we were to each other.

"No." I said trying to sound convincing. "I promise, I am still pure." At least that part was true.

He seemed to think about this then shrugged. "No matter. There are ways to see if you're still intact."

What the hell did he mean by that? I shivered suddenly figuring it out. Was he going to examine me? No way in hell.

"Yes." Grady smile smugly. "I can see you've figured it out. There are doctors that can tell."

I almost relaxed. Yes, a doctor. If he took me to one, I could escape then.

"I know what you're thinking and it's not going to work. If you say one word to anybody, I'll kill them on the spot."

He would do it too, I thought, remembering what he had done from all those years ago. My stomach turned at the memories suddenly flooding my vision. I had fought so hard to keep them locked away. There was no way I could stay in this car. I panicked and fumbled with the locks. I had to get out now regardless of how fast he was driving.

Grady grabbed my hair just then and yanked me back preventing my escape.

"I didn't want to hurt you Izzy but you're proving to be too troublesome." He said just before he slammed my head into the dashboard. The last thing I saw was Edward's face before darkness overcame me and I saw no more.

Alice POV.

To Rosalie's credit, she drove like a madwoman into the town. All the hopes I had of my vision being wrong went down the drain as I saw what looked to be the entire Forks Police Force surrounding Bella's truck. There was yellow tape surrounding the area.

Rosalie parked haphazardly and we all jumped from the car racing toward the scene. As we got closer, I could see that Bella's truck door was open and her purse on the ground with its entire contents spilled around it. There were evidence marking numbers by each item.

One man, who was not wearing a Forks PD uniform, seemed to be the one in charge as he was busy barking orders to everyone else. He was the one I instinctively approached.

"Where is she, where's Bella?" I asked wanting desperately to shake any answers from him.

"Who are you?" He asked taken aback by the violence under the surface of my voice.

Esme put a restraining hand on my shoulder and stepped forward.

"Please." She said. "I'm Esme Cullen and these are my daughters, Alice and Rosalie. Bella is marrying my son and any information you have, we will be grateful for."

Esme was being more diplomatic that I would be but the plea seemed to work. The man sighed and raked his fingers through his hair.

"I'm Detective Conner from the Phoenix Police Department. I really don't know how to tell you this but Bella has been taken, I believe by a man that had escaped from a Phoenix high security prison a few days ago."

"Why would he do that?" I asked. "What does this lunatic have to do with Bella?"

He looked at all three of us in the eyes and seemed to think about what he was going to say. I wished I had Edward's thought reading ability right then because it seemed as if for the moment my visions were useless.

"It's a very long story and one I can't explain right now for obvious reasons." He waved his hand at the chaos going on around us. "Is there somewhere we can talk about this when I am done here?"

"Absolutely." Esme said. "You can come over to our house." She gave him the address.

"Does Charlie, I mean Chief Swan, know?" I asked. Charlie was going to be devastated.

"We're trying to get a hold of him now. He's a bit far away and out of cell range but we're trying to reach him by radio." He shouted over his shoulder at one of the officer's "Get a recent picture out to all PD's you can think of. I have one of Grady for you too."

"Who's Grady?" Rosalie asked.

'I'll explain all that later but for now, Grady is the one that took her. I'm really sorry. I tried to stop it. We had no idea." He seemed to ramble to himself mostly and I could not make sense of anything he was saying. Did they know this person would come after Bella? Did Bella know? He started to walk back to the fray of officers when I spotted a ring box on the pavement.

"Wait!"I shouted. He turned to look at me. "That ring box can I have it?"

"It's evidence." He said.

"Please?" It can't be too important to the case but it's everything to us." I implored. "That's Bella's engagement ring. She wouldn't have worn it to Karate class."

He seemed relieved she didn't have her ring with her. "Good, that might buy her some time." Again he was with the cryptic remarks. He picked up the box and handed it to me. I held onto it like it was a lifeline.

Esme and Rosalie hugged me just then. "C'mon, let's go back to the house." Rosalie said. "There's nothing we can do here."

I nodded and let them guide me back to the car. When we got back to the house my cell phone started to ring.

"It's Edward." I said. "Oh God, what do I tell him? Do I answer the phone?"

"If you don't he'll just keep calling." Rosalie said.

I answered trying to think of the right words to say. 'Hello Edward." I said.

"Alice! What happened? Where's Bella? She's not answering her phone."

"No, she wouldn't be." Was my reply as I did Gregorian chant in my head.

"Damn it Alice stop blocking me! What's going on?" He was frantic now. I could almost picture his wild eyes in my head. He was on the verge of losing it completely.

"Just come home Edward. We'll explain when you get here." I said my voice sounding dead even to myself.

Edwards's voice was low and menacing now. "So help me Alice, if anything has happened to Bella…"His voice trailed off as if he couldn't complete the thought.

"How far away are you?" I asked him looking at Esme and Rosalie's anxious expressions.

"The way Emmett's driving, probably 2 hours. So you better tell me something now. I'll go crazy if you don't"

"You'll go crazy if I do" I whispered not being able to stop the words coming out of my mouth.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" He was angry now, vehemently so. I prayed Jasper would calm him before he tore something apart.

"Please, Edward. Just get her as fast as you can. And when you get here, please act human." I said hanging up the phone hoping he would heed my warning. I didn't want him flying into the house in all his vampiric glory while the cops were at the house. That would certainly raise a few questions.


	10. The Death of Izzy Swan

I wasn't sure on some dates so I guessed. Sorry if it is inaccurate. This was a difficult chapter to write and I wasn't sure if I conveyed all the emotions, especially Edwards, properly. Please feel free to review

Edward POV

I had tried Bella's cell phone for about the tenth time since we had been on the road. Each message I left was more desperate than the last. Why wasn't she answering her phone? Ever since Jasper had told me about his phone call with Rosalie and my own phone call with Alice, we were at a mad pace to get back to Forks. Alice was insanely evasive but I knew something bad had happened, something to do with Bella.

When we sped up to the house, we saw one of Fork's Police cars parked in our drive. Definitely, not a good sign. Jasper tried his best to calm my nerves but I was way past the point of no return.

"What are the police doing here?" Emmett grumbled.

"Let's go find out, shall we?" Carlisle said.

I heard the unspoken thoughts before we got close to the door.

"_How do we tell Edward? What do we tell Edward?"_ That was from Esme.

"_I should've helped her when she asked. Charlie is going to kill me."_ A voice I did not recognize.

"_Oh Bella, I hope you survive him this time around." _The last phrase caught me off guard. Survive who? What the hell was happening?

When we entered the house, there were two things I noticed first. One, I did not recognize the tense looking man with the sun bronzed skin that wasn't dressed in a Forks police uniform but I knew right off that he was a cop. And the second thing, which if I had a heart, it would've stopped beating right then was Bella wasn't here.

"What's happened? Where's Bella?" I asked anxiously looking at everyone's forlorn faces.

"She's gone Edward. She was taken. I'm so sorry." Alice whispered.

My legs wanted to crumple from beneath me and I found I no longer had the strength to stand up.

"Perhaps you should sit down, son, while we get this sorted out." Carlisle said sympathetically.

Nodding wordlessly, I sank into the nearest chair, my hands gripping the arm rests like a lifeline.

Alice, Esme and Rosalie were blocking their thoughts from me and I felt dread creep up my spine.

"What's this all about?" Carlisle asked warily walking more into the room.

The tan police officer got up then. "I'm Detective Conner from the Phoenix Police Department."

Phoenix? I thought. That's where Bella is from. Why would the Phoenix police be here in Forks. I was trying to get a read on his thoughts but they were all over the place. I just heard phrases. "_Too late.", Damn Forks Police.", "I hope I can save her this time.", 'Should've come sooner." _

The overwhelming panic was starting to make my head swirl dizzily. I fought for composure; sure my face mirrored the anguish I felt.

"I want to assure you that the Forks PD and I are doing everything in our power to find Bella and bring her home safely. We have alerted all local police stations up to the Canadian border of the current situation. No stone will be left unturned."

"And just what is the current situation?" Jasper asked the question that was in all of our minds.

The Forks police officer spoke up just then. "I'm sorry. If I had any idea…I thought it was a prank. You know how restless kids get when school's out."

My head snapped up just then, eyes glaring at the officer. I was still in the dark but somehow this person held part of the blame. Surprisingly, it wasn't me that snapped, it was Alice. An expression of understanding mixed with horror came across her features before developing into fury. She would have lunged at him had Carlisle not put a restraining hand on her shoulder.

"Remember who you are." He whispered to her.

She nodded but released the full fury of her words. "She came to you, didn't she?" Alice seethed. 'She came to you for help and you sent her away. How could you?" Alice dry sobbed in her hands.

I got a clear picture just then of the officer's thoughts, his memories or earlier that day.

"_Oh, I'm Isabella Swan. My dad's the chief of police here."_

"_Well, Isabella Swan. I'm sure you are aware, you're daddy's not here."_

"_I am aware of that, thank you but I have come on an urgent professional matter."_

_Wilbur sat back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest looking almost amused._

"_A professional matter, huh? And what might that professional matter be?"_

"_I need police protection."_

_Wilbur was laughing now so hard his jowls shook "Don't you kids have anything better to do than prank police officers?"_

"_You don't understand," Bella said, her voice shaking. "There is a serial killer after me. He's escaped from prison and he's coming here. Look this can all be verified." She gave him a piece of paper, which he crumpled up and threw in the garbage like he was playing basketball._

"_It's a creative story but I'm not buying it."_

"_He's going to kill me!" Bella screamed at him._

_Wilbur snapped in anger. "Listen here young lady. I will not tolerate you teenagers coming in here with no respect for authority. You should be ashamed of yourself being that you're the Chief's daughter."_

"_No you listen, you self important small town hick. You call anyone of the officers on the radio and they'll tell you, I don't play games."_

_Wilbur went back to playing solitaire._

"_Please…" _

Bella had been begging for help against a what? A serial killer? and was refused by this sorry excuse of a person.

"Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on?" I shouted looking around the room at everybody, my eyes finally coming to rest on Detective Conner since he seemed to have the most information.

"I thought she would have told all of you." He started off. His shoulders hunched as if he were bearing the weight of the world on his shoulders. "We believe an escaped convict from Phoenix has abducted Bella."

"Why? Why would he come after our Bella?" Esme cried.

"As I told you earlier, Ma'am. It's a long story, the beginning of which starts over 5 years ago."

Carlisle motioned for the detective to sit once again. "Would you like a glass of water?"

"Thanks, but I'll stand and yes water would be good."

Esme went to get the water. I knew she would need to do something to feel as if she were helping in any small way. I, on the other hand could do nothing. My patience, what little of it I had was fading fast.

The detective took a sip of water then began to speak once again.

"As I said. It started over 5 years ago. I was an officer working vice at the time. Some of the regular girls started to go missing and well the girls on the circuit came to me for help finding them. No one else would help them they said. No one else cared about what happened to the prostitutes. So I put myself on the case. There was another missing person's case going on at the time; that of a young 12 year old girl. I had known about it even though it wasn't my department. Everyone knew about it. It was all over the news. There was no way for me to know at the time or even suspect that the cases of the missing prostitutes and the missing girl were connected….but I digress."

He reached into his brief case and pulled out a piece of paper and handed it to Carlisle who was closest to him. I heard Carlisle gasp and the paper in his hand shook.

"That missing girl," the detective continued "was Isabella Swan."

Carlisle handed me the paper and I immediately wanted to cry if I was able or at the very least rip something or someone apart. It was a missing person's poster. Staring back at me was a picture of a 12 year old Bella. It looked like a school picture but she wasn't smiling. I read the wording below the picture.

"Missing since October 13, 2000.

Isabella "Izzy" Swan

12 years old

Brown hair, brown eyes. 4'11' 90 lbs"

Oh Bella, I thought. Why didn't you ever tell me? Everyone else seemed to be eerily silent. I kept staring at the picture as the detective started to speak again. "She had been missing for a few months and her parents were losing hope at ever finding her…alive anyway. It was January 20th when I received that fateful phone call. There were complaints about an old warehouse in the industrial district that was emitting a horrible odor. It wasn't my department but my partner and I went to check it out anyway. It seemed like a routine enough call. Easy in, easy out." He laughed without humor then. "It was anything but. When we got there, the smell was so bad that we could barely enter the building without gagging. It wasn't only the smell of mold and mildew; there was also the distinct smell of death. We found nothing on the first floor but then we found the door to the basement." He shook his head deep in his memory. His face was pale and aghast as if he were reliving it all over again. "The smell that hit us when we opened the door was like nothing I had ever smelled before. I truly feared what I would find when I got to the bottom. Nothing in my training, or imagination prepared me for what I found."

I was sucked into his memories of the past. My breathing became labored and harsh as I saw him in my mind's eye descending the stair case. I heard the dripping water and even smelled what could only be described as rotting corpse and much more than one. I saw, with looming horror, what he saw. Bodies, at least 10 of them, rotting, bloody and maggot infested. If I could vomit, I would have. But what did this have to do with Bella?

"And there amongst all that death," he said "was Bella."

I saw her, my God, I saw her. There she was, a younger version of the Bella I knew now, sitting handcuffed to what appeared to be a dilapidated, pink canopy bed. Her face was dirty and tear streaked, wrists swollen and broken from trying to break free and obviously malnourished. I wanted so badly to run to her. To wrap her in my arms and take her away. But I couldn't. This had already happened.

"The dead bodies were the girls that I was looking for. We had called for backup and they took Bella from the scene while we waited for Grady. Bella had told us he would be back later that day. He didn't suspect a thing and we nailed him. We got the sonofabitch."

I didn't know what to say. I felt the anger and the grief for the young girl Bella was washed over me. I would've ripped the arms off of the chair had Jasper not worked his magic on me. I looked over at him and could tell all the emotions were getting too much. He looked strained. Alice hugged him tightly and put her head into his chest.

"Did he…?" Carlisle asked with a barely controlled voice. He didn't finish the sentence but we all knew what was implied.

Conner shook his head. "No, he never touched her that way. That was what the prostitutes were for." He said disgustedly. "He would sate his lust with them and then kill them in front of her. You see, he held her in such reverence. He wanted to keep her pure." He paused "The day we found her, the day we captured him..well that day was the death of Izzy Swan and the day Bella was born. Because of her age, she testified on closed circuit video. Will Grady was sentenced to life without possibility of parole and Bella went through intensive therapy. He escaped a few days ago and I called Bella. I honestly didn't think he would find her. It would've made more sense for him to escape to Mexico but I underestimated his obsession for her."

"And now he's got Bella again." Emmett said.

The detective agreed "And now he's got Bella again."

I couldn't take anymore. I had to leave. I ran out of the house and far enough into the woods where humans couldn't hear me. The rage and the pain were all I felt as I ripped a tree from its roots and threw it in the distance.

I kept hearing Bella's words in my mind.

"_Not all monsters are supernatural" _RIP! Another tree went flying

"_I'm tired of being the weak link" _I sunk down to my knees and let the dry sobs take over my body.

A soft footfall in the grass got my immediate attention and my head shot up. It was Esme.

"I would've thought they would have sent Emmett out after me." I said standing up.

"Then the whole forest would've been destroyed for sure." She gave me a small smile. "Besides sometimes a boy just needs his mother." She approached me and gave me a hug. I clutched her and sobbed into her shoulder, shaking us both with the force of it. She stroked my hair in a motherly fashion and sobbed too, for me and for Bella.


	11. Theories and Exams

I hope you like this chapter. Not much longer to go. I already have an idea for my next story, which I hope you will like as well.

Edward POV (still)

I don't recall how long Esme and I sat there in the clearing. It could've been minutes, it could've been hours but I knew the time had come when we had to go back. I was reluctant to move, to face the reality of what was. Questions burned inside of me and I couldn't help the words that escaped my lips.

"Why?"I asked out loud pleading to myself or to Esme, I really didn't much care at that point. "Why would she not tell me?" I looked at Esme, her eyes held nothing but understanding and sympathy.

"I have a theory." She said. "If you want to hear it."

I nodded. "Please." Esme, although technically younger than me was sill wiser and I was grateful for any insight she was willing to give.

"Bella, from what I know of her, is a very selfless person"

I wouldn't argue with that. Her selflessness was one of things I loved most about her but it was also one of the things that frustrated me the most.

Esme went on. "Because of this selflessness, I know of more than a few times Bella has sacrificed herself or tried to anyway for the sake of someone else."

She seemed to be taking too long to get to her point and I was getting frustrated. She seemed to stop her train of thought and went on to continue in a different vein.

"Edward, what would you have done if Bella _had_ told you?"

I didn't even have to think about my answer. "I would've found him and killed him." I snarled thinking of how pleasurable it would feel to rip that maniac to shreds. My hands clenched into fists as I was subconsciously preparing to attack.

Esme nodded, my words and actions confirming her suspicions. "And Bella knew that"

What a minute? What? "Are you telling me that Bella didn't tell me to protect him?" I spat. I couldn't believe that. Esme placed her hand on my arm in a comforting gesture.

"No." She shook her head looking at me with a sad smile on her face. "She did it to protect _you_."

I shook my head wand would have laughed if I didn't feel so much like crying. "To protect me? I finally questioned, bewildered. I could not wrap my head around that. I was a vampire, hard to be killed by one of my own kind let alone a human and she was protecting _me_?

She nodded."To protect you from becoming the monster you think yourself to be, the monster we all know you aren't."

Although the words were not coming from Bella herself, I knew the truth of Esme's words. It was so typically Bella.

"C'mon" Esme said." We can't hide out here forever.

Bella POV

As I was starting to wake, I felt something cold and soothing on my head.

"mmm, Edward" I mumbled and whatever was cold on my head was suddenly gone followed by a loud bang.

"No! Not Edward!"

Startled, I jumped and opened my eyes. No, not Edward I thought dismally staring at Grady as the memories of the previous hours came flooding back. The car was parked, I did not know where and I tried to get my bearings about me. From what I could tell, it was late afternoon, almost twilight. The thought of twilight nearly made me cry as I remembered Edward's words from so long ago.

_Twilight, the safest time of day for my kind_. But apparently not for mine.

"Where are we?" I asked, not really expecting an answer.

He smiled then, it wasn't a nice smile and I found myself cringing "We're at the doctor's"

"The doctor's?" I couldn't help the surprise in my voice. I didn't know whether to be ecstatic or terrified.

Grady grabbed my wrist and squeezed so hard, I winced. "Yeah, we're going to check to see if you're still pure."

What the hell? Did physicians do that anymore past the nineteenth century? But I couldn't think about that or about the ramifications of what he was purporting to do. I had to think about how to escape.

"I know what you're thinking Izzy. So let me warn you. If you so much as bat an eye lash funny, the doctor is as good as dead.

Eyeing the gun in Grady's waistband, I knew he wasn't lying. How was he going to get the doctor to comply though? What story could he tell him where he would actually perform the exam without insurance? I knew I would find out soon enough as he yanked me from the car.

'Remember, not one word." He whispered in my ear as we entered.

No one seemed to be around, no receptionist, no doctor. I nearly sighed in relief until I saw an older heavyset man in a white lab coat. The doctor, I thought.

"Can I help you?" he said. "I was just about to go home for the evening."

Go home, I pleaded inside my head, please. He must have seen the expression on my face because now he looked concerned.

"Is everything alright?" He asked kindly. No! I wanted to scream.

"No." Grady said "My daughter here may have been raped by her boyfriend and I need to find out if that's the case."

I wanted to gag.

"Raped? Why not just go to the police or the hospital?"

Grady looked at the doctor pleadingly "Well, it's technically called statutory rape since my daughter is a minor and he is 22. He is also a policeman's son. I don't want to cause any trouble if there's nothing to cause trouble about. I'll pay you well."

Grady had the doctor's sympathy now and I felt sick.

"Well this is highly unusual" The doctor stated

Grady walked up to the reception desk and I had no choice but to follow with him considering the tight hold on my arm.

"Sir," Grady started "Do you have any children?"

"Three girls" the doctor boasted. Oh God, 3 girls that would lose a daughter if I said a word.

"Then you know, as a father, you would do anything within your power to protect them. Please help me help my little girl." Grady pleaded. It was then I noticed the pen on the desk, so close within my reach. If I could just get it without anyone's notice I could slip it in my sleeve and somehow write a note out. A plan started to form in my mind, if I could only get that pen.

"My nurse has already left for the evening."

Grady somehow knew I wouldn't do anything that would cause the doctor to get killed and he released his grip on me to approach the man with a pleading look in his eye.

"I know it is against regulation to perform an exam on a minor without a female in the room. But please…I'll come in with you and I'll keep my back turned.

The doctor seemed to debate his decision and Grady watched him closely trying to keep sincerity in his eyes. That's when I made my move. I grabbed he pen quickly and shoved it up my sleeve hoping that it wouldn't be noticed.

"Okay" The doctor said "Follow me to my exam room"

Grady leered at me as when the doctor turned his back.

To say the exam was uncomfortable was an understatement. Here I was with my legs spread open, my face flushed red from embarrassment as the doctor used his instruments to check to see if I still had my hymen intact. Tears leaked from my eyes and I bit down on my lip to keep from making any noise. Thank God that I only had to remove my pants and much to my surprise, Grady keep his word to keep his back turned.

When the doctor finished he scooted his stool back and stood up. "You can get dressed now." He told me gently. He turned to Grady "Well, I am happy to say, your suspicions were incorrect. She still has her hymen which means there was no vaginal penetration."

Grady smiled then. "Thank you Doctor." And shook his hand, placing a wad of cash into it.

"Can I use the bathroom?" I whispered, feeling vomit starting to rise in my throat. The bathroom happened to be right off the examining room so Grady let me go, knowing there would be no chance to escape.

I ran to the bathroom and shut the door behind me. Please let this work. I had to be quick. I ripped a piece of paper off the roll and quickly wrote my note.

_Kidnapped_

_Not my father!_

_Call Detective Conner 520-555-1232_

I placed the note in between the toilet and the sink hoping it would be seen by the doctor and not by Grady if he checked. I flushed the toilet and ran the water. When I came out, Grady was ready to go.

"Thank you Doctor." He said smiling as we walked out the door.

I knew I had to keep the charade up until we got into the car. He drove odd speeding to an unknown destination.

"You've just made me a very happy man, Izzy" he grinned and placed his hand on my thigh. I backed into the door moving as far away from him as physically possible. He removed his hand and laughed. "Don't worry, I won't touch you tonight. You'll need your rest for what I plan on doing to you tomorrow."

"You won't touch me you filthy pig!" I yelled at him unable to keep my silence anymore.

He seemed to think that was funny and just laughed and laughed until I held my hands over my ears. Edward, please find me. I thought. I need you.


	12. Calling All Wolves

Edward POV

When we came back towards the house, I noticed the squad car was gone. In a way I was grateful; I no longer had to keep up the human charade. Carlisle met us at the door.

"Charlie came back. The detective is meeting with him now at the station." Carlisle answered my unasked question. "It will be okay son. Bella will be found."

But will she be found alive? I thought unable to keep the idea from manifesting in my head. No! I could not think like that. She would be found alive. The alternative was too painful to contemplate. I knew what that road looked like as I had already been down it before.

Alice approached me then holding with a trembling hand a blue velvet box I knew so well. Bella's engagement ring.

"I thought you would want this so you can give it to her again." She placed the box in my hand and I closed my fist around it, my hands shaking as well. I closed my eyes briefly trying to ward off the overwhelming emotions that were passing through me. "She took it off for karate practice. It was one of the items in her purse that had…" her voice trailed off before finishing."Well it was one of the items in her purse and.." She stopped speaking suddenly looking at me as if she were afraid to say any more.

"And" I prompted her.

She sighed "And it turns out it was a good thing she was not wearing it."

I could almost feel the hair on the back of my neck stand up. "Why is that?"

"Detective Conner explained that..well..that.."

"Spit. It. ." I said my patience wearing thin.

"Edward." Jasper warned.

I turned coldly to Jasper. "You tell me you wouldn't react this was if it was Alice that was taken."

"Point taken Edward. Alice please continue."

Alice looked at me apologetically. "It was a good thing that she wasn't wearing it because if Grady even suspects she has physically been with another man, there is no telling what he would do."

My whole body shook now with rage. I knew what he would do. He would treat Bella like he did those prostitutes years ago. I felt ill.

"We'll have to get the wolves involved." Carlisle said thought fully.

"No!" I shouted. The last thing I wanted was to be more indebted to that pack of dogs than I already was.

"It makes sense." Jasper said. "They can track Bella's scent better than we can."

"I'm with Edward. No Dogs!" Emmett said speaking out. "We can find Bell just fine."

"But with the wolves, we could do it faster." Carlisle said. "I know you don't want to get them involved for your own reasons Edward but you have to consider the logic. Please, for Bella's sake." He pleaded.

Those last four words were my undoing. I would do anything to find Bella. I could not because of my own jealousies refuse any help in finding her. I sighed pinching the bridge of my nose with my thumb and forefinger. "Fine but call Seth. He would be the most considerate of our cause."

"Thank you Edward. I know you have made the right decision."

I just nodded unable to speak while I heard Carlisle already pick up the phone to make the call. Suddenly, I heard Alice gasp and she had the vacant look in her eyes she always gets while having a vision.

"What is it Alice?" I was frantic with need for any information. "What do you see?"

"It's Bella." She replied furrowing her brow. "She's in a doctor's office." Carlisle had paused speaking to Seth on the phone and the rest of us unconsciously moved closer to listen to what Alice had to say. "She's being examined? Grady is in the room." She shook her head as if to clear the vision, as if it were wrong somehow because it didn't make sense. I saw the vision through Alice's mind. There was my Bella on an examining table looking like she was getting a gynecological exam. Grady was there with his back turned. I tried to focus on how Bella looked. Of course she looked upset but she didn't appear to be injured and I thanked the heavens for that small mercy.

"Why? Why would he have her examined?" Rosalie asked. For once Rosalie didn't have any snide remarks and seemed truly concerned. Another small mercy.

Carlisle looked appalled. "He is having her checked to see if she is still a virgin."

"The sick twisted bastard!" Emmett shouted punching a whole through Esme's coffee table. No one thought to chastise him. We all felt the same way.

"Can you tell where she is Alice?" Esme asked gently.

She shook her head. 'I'm trying but it is such a generic office, it could be anywhere. There are no markers anywhere around giving a location away. I'm sorry"

"Can you tell when this is going to happen?" I asked desperate for any information.

"I think it's happening now, Edward." Alice looked at me with sad eyes.

"Seth has agreed to speak with the pack." Carlisle informed us. 'He is confident, considering how they feel about Bella, that they will do all they can to help."

"And Jacob?" I asked not being able to help myself.

"It is believed that Jacob is in Canada. They will try to contact him but…" his voice trailed off.

The phone suddenly rang, startling all of us.

"Dr. Cullen" Carlisle said answering the phone. "Yes Seth. Thank you. This means much to us. We'll see you soon." He hung up the phone. "They'll be here within the hour." He said looking at us.


	13. Picking up the Scent

Bella POV

We had been driving a long time it seemed though I couldn't say for sure. He had blindfolded me and tied my hands behind my back soon after we got back in the car. I was uncomfortable and I prayed that the doctor would find the note I left and do the right thing.

My thoughts went to Edward. He must be frantic with worry and I would've given anything to be able to be the one to comfort him. I knew he would be blaming himself though the fault rested all on me. In hindsight, I should have told him. But then I mentally shook my head. If he knew, he would have found Grady and killed him. I would have relished in Grady's death but at what cost to Edward?

The car stopped and somehow I knew we arrived at our destination. Dare I make a break for it. Yes, I was bound and blindfolded but I had to make the attempt. I'd prefer death to what was waiting for me come the next day.

"We're here." Grady said getting out of the car. He opened my side of the door and I felt the cold air making me shiver. He grabbed my arm pulling me out of the car and I stumbled not being able to see in front of me.

It's now or never, I thought. I tore myself away from him and tried to run blindly away. I felt him grab my hair and pull me back forcefully until I landed on my back and moaned painfully as I felt the breath knocked out of me.

Grady sighed. "I thought we'd already been through this Izzy. You can't escape from me." He yanked me up by my arm and half dragged me into a drafty building and shut the door behind him. Only then did he remove the blindfold.

I blinked tearfully to clear my vision and saw where we were. It looked like a warehouse of some sort, damp and dark with the exception of a bald light bulb hanging in the center of the room. I heard scurrying near the dark corners and wondered if Grady wasn't the only rat in the room.

"It's not like our last place but it will do." He said.

No, there was no canopy bed, I thought. I didn't know whether I should be thankful of that fact or not. He ran his fingers down my cheek and I reflexively flinched away.

"What, nothing to say?" He asked.

"Go to hell!" I replied.

He pulled me further into the room and then I saw it. A stained, dirty mat on the floor complete to untie my hands and replace those ties with the other ones.

"I learned from the last time." He said conversationally. "We can't have you go and break your wrists with handcuffs again. I was assured these were just as strong and won't hurt you." He pulled tightly on the binds for effect. "Now I suggest you get some sleep. We have a big day tomorrow."

I would rot in hell before I closed my eyes while he was anywhere near me.

Alice POV

Edward was on edge. Seth, Sam, Paul, Embry and Quil were gathered in the living room strategizing with Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle talking about how they would work together to track Bella's scent. Edward stood away from them watching intently nearly paralyzed with anguish. Like a statue, he stood there. I couldn't believe he was leaving the decision making up to others.

He looked over then, with such pain in his eyes. I knew he heard my thoughts.

"I can't" he whispered shaking his head. "It's too much, this pain. It's too damn much knowing Bella is at the mercy of this bastard and there is nothing I can do. What he could be doing to her right now, Alice. It's all I can think about." He combed his fingers through his hair and turned away from me his head bowed, body shaking in silent sobs.

I went to face him, my hands on his arms and looked him in the eyes. "We will find her Edward. You have to believe that. Don't you dare give up that hope."

He nodded, pinching the bridge of his nose. 'You're right Alice. I can't give up hope. It's all that's keeping me going right now."

"Why don't we help everyone else figure this out? You need to be doing something other than standing here letting your morbid thoughts get to you. Besides Charlie is going to call with some good news."

Startled he looked at me, his eyes not as dark. "They found her?"

Sadly I shook my head. "No, but we'll get a starting point of where to begin to look."

As I predicted, the phone rang. Before Edward could run to answer it, I put a restraining hand on his arm.

"Let Carlisle answer it." I said. "He's much more rational right now."

Carlisle picked up the phone.

"Hello…Hi Charlie, how are you holding up?….I know, we're very upset too, I can't even describe what Edward is going through.."

I heard Edward growl. I knew he had enough of the small talk. I went back to listening to what was going on, on the phone.

"…He what?...She did?...Oh that was very smart of her." Carlisle looked over at us with a small smile on his face. "..of course Charlie…Thank you for keeping us updated."

"Well?" Edward said.

"It seems that a Dr. Crenshaw called Detective Conner. He performed a very odd examination on a girl at the insistence of her 'father'. After they left, he found a note in the bathroom left by Bella, telling him that Grady was lying and to call Detective Conner."

Edward closed his eyes in relief that there was some break.

"Where is this doctor located?" Seth asked.

"In Sequim, off Route 101" Carlisle replied.

"Then that's where we'll start." Sam said.

Carlisle eyed all of this then as we were all going for the door. "Wait!' he said. "We can't all go. It will look too suspicious." He looked around the room as if making a decision. Esme, you and Rosalie stay here in case there are any more calls.. Seth, you and Embry go back to the reservation, in case Jacob or Charlie stops by. I'll grab my medical bag and we'll leave."

I winced when Carlisle said "medical bag". I knew that bringing it would be the smart thing to do, however I prayed we would have no use for it. Looking over at Edward, I didn't have to be a mind reader to know he thought the same.

Edward POV

Even going 150 miles per hour in my Volvo, I still didn't think we were going fast enough. We didn't take Alice's Porsche even though it would have been faster, there would be no room for Carlisle, Emmett or Jasper, who was in the back seat. I opted for Alice to drive knowing I was on no state of mind to be behind the wheel. I had boasted to Bella once that I had never been in an accident or had even gotten a speeding ticket. I didn't know if I would be able to boast that had I taken the wheel this night.

"Can't you go faster Alice?"

_Are you kidding me?_ She thought. "At this rate we'll be there way ahead of the wolves. We'll have to wait for them anyway, Edward. What's the point?" _Get a grip Edward!_

We just passed the "Welcome to Sequim Sign" and I could feel the anticipation mounting. Please Bella, please hold on for me, I thought, with my fingers practically embedded into the dashboard.

Alice looked at me. _I'd like to see you explain that to the insurance company. _She thought noticing the 10 finger marks in a supposedly sturdy dashboard. _When I said to get a grip, I didn't mean for you to take it so literally._

I scowled at her turning my head towards the window once again. It was then that I saw the Forks squad cars parked outside what looked to be a medical office. I wanted to run inside and question the doctor myself. Alice kept driving.

"We can't have you just run in and start to harass the doctor." Alice said as if knowing what I was thinking.

"Pull up ahead over here and let's wait for Sam and the others." Carlisle said.

Alice pulled over on to a dirt path off the side of the road. I got out of the car unable to feel confined anymore. The walls of the car were starting to make me feel closed in and claustrophobic. Jasper came over to me as I was pacing. I could sense but not feel him trying to calm me.

"I can feel what you're trying to do Jasper and I appreciate it but it won't work."

He sighed. "I wish I could help you somehow."

I stopped and looked at him. "The only thing that will help me right now is having Bella safe in my arms."

"Don't worry bro, we'll get her and kick some psycho ass!" Emmett said. I tried to grin at his exuberance but it came out like a scowl. Taking into account what Esme had told me earlier, I knew that is not what Bella would want.

It was late now. The skies were dark and I couldn't see the stars. I let my mind wander to Bella. If he was hurting her, had hurt her, no matter what Bella wanted, I wouldn't, no couldn't be responsible for my actions.

"Where are those damn mutts?" I heard Emmett grumble. _Never should've gotten them involved. They'll just slow us down._

I secretly agreed but I saw the logic in Carlisle's request to involve them. I smelled the wolves before I heard them. They phased back into human form as they approached us.

"Her scent is strong here." Sam said.

Tell me something I don't know mongrel, I thought but didn't say.

"Where do you think the trail leads from here?" Jasper asked.

Sam looked up and sniffed the air, then looked at the others and Quil ran ahead. He came back a little while later.

"The scent continues down 101. We'll continue until the trail changes course." Quil said.

We got back into the Volvo as the others phased back into wolf form and we followed them into the night.

_This is working out well_ Carlisle thought, pleased at our progress so far.

We're coming Bella, we're coming, I thought staring straight ahead at the darkness. We would find her, there could be no other alternative.


	14. What Did Alice See?

Bella POV

I waited until I was sure Grady was asleep before I started to work on the bonds that held me. They were strong, I had to admit and there wasn't much wiggle room as I tried to maneuver my wrists to loosen them up. I still had the pen from the doctor's office where I could get to it but I wanted to save that as a potential weapon. Grady could not know I had it yet.

Bringing my hands up to my mouth, worked on the bonds with my teeth, praying I could at least break through the fabric enough for it to begin to fray. It was something at least. There was no way I could sit here idle and wait for whatever fate thought to bring my way.

Grady shifted in his sleep next to me, his arm flinging out and covering my thigh. Somehow I managed to stay very still hoping he wouldn't awaken to torment me some more. I wanted to vomit

Be strong, Bella. I thought to myself. It won't help to freak out. Briefly, I wondered what time it was and someone had been able to reach Charlie and inform I was gone. He would have every police department within reach looking for me. I also knew that Edward and the rest of the Cullens would not just wait for Charlie to find me. They would be out looking themselves. I hoped Alice could see something in her visions that would help them locate me before Grady fulfilled his promise. However, I couldn't rely on that. I had to come up with a plan. If I had to pick each thread individually with my teeth all night long, I would.

Alice POV

We were driving for what seemed like forever. Seth told us they had lost the scent and that might have to do with all the water channels around this particular area. The tense silence in the car was almost a living, breathing thing and there was only so much Jasper could do to relieve it. Not being able to take it anymore and upset with my lack of visions, I reached to turn on the radio. Maybe one of the local AM news stations would have some news as we couldn't expect Charlie to continually call with updates.

"You want to listen to music now?" Edward seethed turning from the window to look at me.

"Relax. I am just turning on the news to see if there is anything about Bella since I am not getting any visions."

"That's a very good idea." Carlisle said. "Too bad I didn't think to bring my police band radio with us."

The news DJ droned on about the weather and how chilly it was for June. Global warming, my ass. I thought. Then the he began reading the local news.

**Police across the Olympian Peninsula are searching the entire area for Isabella Swan who was taken by William Grady, a convicted kidnapper and serial killer, who escaped recently from a maximum security prison in Phoenix Arizona. Isabella Swan has long brown hair and brown eyes, dressed in faded jeans and a blue top she is approximately 5'4". William Grady is 6'2"with short black hair and brown eyes dressed in a white t shirt and blue jeans. Coming from a recent tip, they were last seen headed on Route 101 towards Blyn in a late model black Ford Taurus. If you have any information, please contact Forks Police department at 555-2424. Do not approach William Grady. He is considered armed and highly dangerous. In other news…"**

I switched the radio off not interested in hearing the rest. "At least we know what type of car he's driving." I said trying to sound optimistic looking over at Edward.

"Yeah Bro" Emmett said hitting Edward on the shoulder. "Your car can out run a Ford any day of the week."

I felt a vision coming on. "Edward, hold the wheel." I said.

He reached over and held the wheel staring at me intently seeing trying to see in my mind as my vision started to come into focus. I spoke, what I saw out loud knowing the others wouldn't be able to read my mind like Edward could

"Bella is sitting down, trying to free herself from the ties around her wrists with her teeth. Grady is sleeping beside her. She doesn't look like she is harmed. She looks determined and angry." I said with pride in my voice.

"Atta girl, Bella?" Emmett said happily. Edward let out a small smile.

"Can you see where she is, Alice, anything that might give us a clue?" Jasper asked.

I concentrated harder, letting my unseeing eyes wander around the room. "It looks like a warehouse of some sort."

"Great, like there isn't a warehouse district in every town around here." Edward was getting frustrated. He was right; it wasn't much to go on. I concentrated harder.

"Wait, wait. I see a sign on the wall. It says 'Bellingham Import Export'. That has to be the place. They're in Bellingham where this business is located." I said happy I could see something useful.

"I knew you could do it Alice." Jasper said proudly and I beamed at him.

"We'll have to double back towards Port Townsend, we're almost at Shelton. We went way too far." Carlisle said. "I also suggest we call an 'anonymous' tip to the Forks PD. It would look very suspicious if we were the ones that found Bella and not the police. Alice, how long will it take for us to get to Bellingham?"

"I estimate 2 hours" She said.

"Dawn will be breaking soon. We'll have to be careful." Jasper said.

I swung the car around to turn back the other way.

"We'll need to get gas soon" Carlisle said. "Edward, why don't you call the tip in on a pay phone at the gas station while we fill up the car? I know you're probably feeling a little cagey right now and we can't have the call traced back to any of our cell phones."

Edward POV

Carlisle was right, I did need to get out of the confining space of the car but cagey didn't exactly cover the enormity of what I was feeling right now. Was it only a few days ago that I had taken Bella out to dinner in that beautiful dress? It felt like it was so much longer ago.

It took us over an hour until we spotted an open gas station. We were practically driving on fumes at that point. As soon as Alice stopped the car, I jumped out of the car in search of the nearest pay phone.

Finally finding one, I dialed the Forks police number.

"I have some information about the missing girl, Isabella Swan." I said in a voice that was deep and gruff.

"Go ahead, sir" came the dispatcher's reply.

I knew I couldn't be too specific even though I wanted to be. "I saw a girl and man in a car, all fitting the description of what I heard on the radio. They were heading into the warehouse district of Bellingham, by the water."

"Can I have your name and location sir?"

I hung up the phone then and prayed that the information would be sent out. I also knew that many times, not all leads were followed up on especially if they sounded as suspicious as mine did but I knew Charlie's mind. He would make sure every lead was followed when it came to finding his daughter and for that I was grateful.

Alice beeped the horn at me signaling that they were ready to go. When I sat down again, I immediately sensed something was wrong. Alice was filling her mind with Gregorian chant.

"Did you have another vision that you're not tell me?" I asked her.

He face looked strained when she turned to me. "It won't help for you to know." She said.

"What do you mean? Of course it would?" I turned accusingly to Jasper, Emmett and Carlisle in the back seat. "Do you know what Alice saw?'

"Oh, Come on Edward, do you think if they knew that you wouldn't be able to find out about it, especially from Emmett."

"Hey, I resent that remark." Emmett said insulted.

"You know its true'" She countered.

"Enough!" I yelled. "Alice, please" I begged.

She shook her head. "I can't Edward. We're too late to stop it from happening and I didn't get any more information than we have already."

"Why don't you let me be the judge of that?" I was imagining all sorts of horrors in my mind, each one worse than the last.

"Because." She started "I've seen your reaction if I did tell you and we need this car in one piece to make it to Bella." She finished off yelling.

I snarled at her.

"Edward, please calm down. You know better than to push your sister." Carlisle interrupted immediately making me feel guilty.

I stared out the window near panicking, wondering what exactly did Alice see?


	15. Escape Attempt

Bella POV

It was impossible to tell how much time had passed since we arrived in this damp hellhole. I stayed awake all night, too afraid to go to sleep. My tears flowed freely now as I became more and more frustrated with my inability to loosen the ties around my hands. My mouth was dry from picking at them with my teeth.

I could hear Grady started to stir into awareness and my whole body tensed thinking about the horrors that were awaiting me this day. Wiping the tears from my eyes, I tried to compose myself. I could not show fear. After all those months with Grady, I knew that he fed off the fears off others. It gave him a sick sort of high and after everything he had put me through so far and everything that was to come, I could not give him that, I would not give him that.

If I only could get that gun away from him. He kept it on him at all times in his back waistband and I could not risk trying to grab it while he slept. Knowing my luck, he would awaken and use it on me. No, I needed a course of action. My mind started to formulate a different plan, one that just might work if I didn't vomit first. It was risky but at this point what did I have to lose? I'd rather die than let him rape me.

Grady stretched and yawned. I could smell his putrid breath waft over to me and I turned my head away to hide my disgust. If my plan were to work, I had to become the world's best actress. Edward always said I was a horrible liar but in this case, I needed to lie convincingly, my life depended on it.

"Good Morning Izzy." Grady said with a grin, sitting up.

"Good Morning." I replied.

"Wow, no sarcastic comment." He said surprised.

"No." I replied. "No sarcasm today."

He looked at me with distrust but then shrugged, jumping to his feet seeming almost giddy.

'I did a bit of research before I decided on this place for us Izzy. They're redeveloping down here but on the other end. The construction will be so loud no one will here you scream."

It was time for my academy award performance. "I won't be screaming Will" I said trying to make my voice sound husky. It wasn't hard considering my mouth felt like it had sandpaper in it.

He crouched down in front of me to look me in the eye. I could see the desire in his eyes and my stomach clenched.

"And why won't that be?" He asked.

I shrugged. "I don't want to fight anymore. I don't want to fight…us..anymore." I almost gagged trying to force the words out of my mouth.

He cupped my cheek in his rough hand and my skin crawled. I could see the excitement in his eyes. It was lust. Pure, unadulterated lust and inwardly I prayed that I wouldn't fail in my quest at freedom.

Suddenly his lips descended on mine, forcing my mouth open with his tongue and shoving it inside. I forced myself to kiss him back and not cringe away, wanting all the while to do nothing but bite down on him. He started to lower me back onto the mattress and I could feel him cup my breast. I shivered in disgust, which he mistook for a shiver of excitement.

I pulled back from his kiss and fought the desire to wipe his saliva from my mouth. "Please" I whispered. "Untie me. I want to be able to touch you."

So far gone was he in his desire, that he complied, ripping the bonds off me in his haste to finally have me as he always imagined. I was free!

Once he untied my hands and feet, his repugnant mouth was back on mine again, kissing me with a bruising fierceness. My arms wrapped around him, my hands rubbing up and down his back, in what I hoped was a convincing display of want. In reality, I was trying to make my way towards the gun, to pull it from him.

I felt the cold metal under my fingers and tried to maneuver the safety off without his knowledge. Thank God for Charlie teaching me how to use a gun. I did it. Quickly, I pulled the gun from his waistband wrapping my fingers around the trigger.

Unfortunately, as soon as I removed the gun, Grady realized what I was doing and grabbed my wrist. Deep, dark anger replacing the lust in his eyes.

"You bitch!" He screamed. I tried to wrest my arm from his grasp and we struggled. There was no way I was giving up my hold on the gun, now that I had it in my hands. Somehow the gun was between us now. We were both struggling for control, when a shot rang out. I looked up at him in shock, reeling from the pain that was suddenly spreading through my body. The gun went off and I was the loser in the struggle. He had shot me in my side.

He was so stunned, he let go of the gun. "Look what you made me do!" He cried in disbelief.

I felt any strength I had from adrenaline begin to fade and the dark pain was taking over. Now was my only chance while I still had control over the gun. I raised the gun holding it with both hands trying to steady myself.

"Die, you fucker!" I screamed and fired. The bullet hit him in his head, the side of his face gone and his dead body fell on mine.

I collapsed against the wall, unable to move as the blood seeped from my body feeling my life slowly ebb away.

As I lie here, trying to separate my mind from the pain, I wanted to laugh at the sheer arrogance of myself thinking I could ever defend myself against the monster from my past. God, what did I condemn myself to? What did I condemn Edward to? We would never get our Happily Ever After.

As I clung to the last vestiges of consciousness, I couldn't help but think of the irony. After everything; the vampires, the wolves, the Volturi; I should see my end at the hands of a human. A self deprecating smile formed on my lips and I could think no more.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Next up Edward POV. Please review. I'd like to know what everyone thinks so far.


	16. Just to Find You

Edward POV

Bellingham Port was aligned with warehouses all with faded signage on them. I was difficult to tell from the car which one Bella might be in. We were at the end of the port where there was no construction going on figuring that if Grady had her here, it would be where there were no witnesses.

All of us got out of the car quickly.

"It would be better if we separated." Jasper said. "We'll cover more ground that way."

I internally agreed trying to figure where I would start first. I heard the trunk of my car slam and saw Alice walk over to me with the blanket I always kept for Bella. She handed it to me.

"Here, you'll need this." She said sadly. 'The…" her voice trailed off as if she wanted to say something else but stopped herself, covering her nose with her hands and walked away with Jasper.

I didn't want to think just then what the implications of that meant. What was in her visions that she didn't want me to see, would require the use of a blanket. She wasn't explaining and her thoughts weren't giving anything away.

In the far off distance, I heard the sounds of police sirens, many of them and I was glad they took my "tip" seriously. Emmett and Carlisle went in another direction, essentially leaving me alone to look on my own.

Suddenly there was a very distinct sound of a gunshot followed shortly after by another one. They reverberated throughout my body and I felt the pain of it as if I was the one that had been shot. I took off running towards the sound knowing it could only mean one thing.

I found myself in front of Bellingham Import Export and I could smell it. Blood. Two distinct scents and one of them was Bella's. "No!" I shouted feeling the venom pool into my mouth. I forced it back down and steeled myself to enter, tormented in my thoughts at what I might find. I heard footsteps behind me and knew it was my family.

"Don't" I said holding my hand up to keep them back. "There's blood." I whispered.

_Do you need help? _Carlisle thought and I shook my head and entered the building. The smell was stronger here mixed with damp mildew. The room was dark but I could see clearly. It was then I heard it. A faint, stumbling heartbeat. Bella. The only heartbeat that mattered to me. There was no other and I knew that Grady had perished.

What I saw next enraged me as much as it terrified me. There, slumped, unconscious in the corner of the room was Bella. She still had the gun in her hand. On top of her was a very dead Grady with his brains blown out.

With a roar, I pulled him off of her and threw his body across the room, not caring if I was contaminating a crime scene. I knelt next to Bella, to check her pulse. It was faint and thready but it was there. I closed my eyes in thanks.

I now knew what the blanket was for. There, in her side, was a gunshot wound. I pressed the blanket to the wound trying to staunch the flow of blood before I picked her up and carried her outside.

She opened her pain glazed, chocolate eyes then. It was the most beautiful sight I ever saw.

"Edward?" she said so softly that if I wasn't a vampire I wouldn't be able to hear her.

"Shh" I said putting my finger to her lips. "Don't talk. Save your strength."

She reached up with her hand and caressed my cheek and looked at me as if she were trying to memorize my face. "I did it." She whispered.

"Yes, my love" I said my voice breaking. "You did it." I kissed her forehead and I felt her hand slip from my face. Worriedly, I looked at her. There was a faint smile on her face and her eyes drifted close once again. I could hear her heart struggling and I panicked.

"No Bella! No!" I shouted. "Don't do this! Don't you dare give up on me!"

I shook her slightly trying to force a response. "Bella!" I brought my lips down to hers. They felt so cold. "C'mon Bella! Fight, damn it! I am not letting you go!" I screamed.

Hoisting her up in my arms, I carried her outside to where I knew there would be ambulances waiting. I saw Charlie running up to us, shock on his features as he saw Bella.

One of the EMT's tried to take Bella from my grasp. I growled at him. I would not relinquish my hold. She was my life line. If I let her go, the already tenuous hold I had on my sanity would break. I must have looked fierce in my grief because no one would come near me. Except Carlisle.

He approached me with his hands up, very cautiously as one would approach a wounded animal. I supposed that's what I was.

"Please son. You have to let her go. She needs medical attention."

I tried to focus on him. He was asking me to let her go? _It will be okay son. They are here to help her._

I nodded stiffly and released Bella to the EMT's, who quickly put her on a gurney and placed an oxygen mask on her. Although I had given up my hold, I couldn't take my eyes off of her.

Alice, Jasper and Emmett hung back because of the blood but I could see the sympathetic looks on their faces.

Charlie reached us then_ How did they know? _ _How the hell did they get here so fast? No matter, it's not like I'm going to give them a ticket or anything._

"Bella?" He said as they were trying to stabilize her enough to put her in the ambulance. "Bella, honey, it's daddy. I'm so, so sorry baby." He was crying and I was strangely jealous that I could not. Charlie looked at me then.

"He's dead" I whispered through clenched teeth.

"Thank you" he said. "Thank you for saving my baby girl."

How I wished I would've been the one to kill that monster. I shook my head. "No, Charlie. It wasn't me. Bella saved herself." He looked confused. "She shot him with his own gun." I explained. There was a hint of pride for Bella in my voice as I said this.

He nodded and I saw the same pride I had in my voice mirrored in his eyes. Conner ran into the warehouse and shouted for a coroner. At this point, I did not care what happened at the crime scene. My only thoughts were for Bella. As much as I wanted to ride with her in the ambulance, I knew that privilege belonged to Charlie.

"C'mon, Edward." Carlisle said to me placing his arm on my shoulder as the EMT's put Bella in the ambulance. "We'll follow in the car."

Numbly, I let Carlisle lead me to the car and I got in the passenger seat once again staring straight ahead as Alice drove off behind the ambulance.

"Edward." Alice said to me very seriously.

I didn't respond. All I kept thinking about was the blood, not in any thirsty way and Bella's injured form on the ground. I would never be able to get that image out of my head. It was burned in my memory. Besides the gun wound, I wondered what else Grady managed to do to her while he had her. I felt the anger build again.

"Edward, listen to me." Alice said again. "It's important."

"What?" I said turning to her. As if anything could be more important than what was going on in that ambulance ahead of us.

"No matter what happens from now until we get to the hospital, I want you to know that it will be okay. Can you remember that for me?"

I looked at her wondering what she was trying to tell me in her own cryptic, Alice type way. I turned my concentration back to the ambulance trying to listen to what was going on inside.

"_What's going on?" Charlie was asking in a panicky voice._

"_BP's dropping!"_

"_We're losing her!"_

"_Hurry, get the_ ___**Defibrillator"**_

_"__**C'mon Bella! We're not losing you now!"**_

___**A sigh of relief. "Okay, she's stabilized."**_

_'__**Lets' make sure she stays that way."**_

_**I didn't realize that I ripped part of the dashboard off until I looked down. Jasper was trying futilely to calm me. But there was no relief for this pain, this agony of not being able to do anything.**_

_"**I guess you didn't remember what I told you." Alice said looking down at part of the mutilated dashboard in my hands.**_

_**The ambulance went to the nearest hospital and I wondered briefly if Carlisle had any pull here. I was allowed one brief moment with Bella before they wheeled her into surgery. They all saw the ravaged, haunted look on my face. No one was going to deny me.**_

_**I held her hand within mine and whispered into her ear. "Please Bella. You have to make it through. We have our wedding and all eternity in front of us. Please Bella, I am lost without you. You…" I had to swallow past the lump in my throat "You are everything to me." I whispered brokenly. I placed a brief kiss to her lips and watched as she was wheeled out of my view.**_


	17. The Aftermath

Alice POV

_"**I guess you didn't remember what I told you." I said looking down at part of the mutilated dashboard in Edward's hands. He looked like he was in such pain and I knew for as long as I existed, I never wanted to see that expression on my brother's face again.**_

_**Thankfully Edward got a brief moment with Bella once we arrived at St. Josephs. He was very close to losing whatever was left of his tight control and I knew, thanks to my visions that if he was denied that one small moment, the entire ER would be ripped apart. I shuddered at the thought.**_

_**Carlisle was on the phone with Esme updating her on the details. She and Rosalie would be here soon. Jasper put a comforting arm around my shoulder and I looked at him gratefully. Edward stood stiffly as he watched them wheel Bella away, one hand stretched out towards her as if wanting to pull her back to him.**_

_**Bella had been so brave. I saw in my visions what she was going to do. If I had a heart, it would have stopped beating when I knew what she had decided upon doing. It was very risky and could fail very easily. It nearly did. She had played Grady's own lust against him. Keeping it a secret from Edward had been hard but for the best. I wasn't kidding when I had said if I did show him the vision, there would be nothing left of the car.**_

_**I had seen Bella make the move to seduce him and her grab for the gun. I knew we wouldn't make it in time but I also knew the outcome.**_

_**I felt Edward staring at me just then, his black eyes seemed to burn right through me. By replaying the vision over in my head, he had seen. He almost lost his human façade in his rush to stand before me.**_

_"**You need to calm down, Edward." Jasper said in my defense. "I don't know what you saw in Alice's mind right now but you need to get a grip. For everybody's sake." Jasper knew as well as I did that Edward did not have a good grasp on his self control.**_

_"**I need to know, Alice." Edward said through clenched teeth. 'Did he…did he rape her?"**_

_**I shook my head. "No, Edward. It never got that far." His shoulders slumped in relief.**_

_"**She will be okay, I promise." I told him. "I've seen it." And I did, thankfully. Bella would make it through surgery and she would wake up, although I couldn't see when.**_

_"**I have that comfort at least." He said.**_

_**Carlisle shut his phone and walked over to us then. Emmett was on the phone with Rosalie. **_

_"**Why don't you take a walk Edward? We'll be awhile here. It might do you good to clear your head." Carlisle was ever the voice of reason.**_

_"**As if I could, Carlisle, as if I could." Edward said sorrowfully but he turned away and left the area. Even with the knowledge that all would be well, he was still a shattered man.**_

_**Charlie, after signing the admission and surgery permission forms same to sit near us in the waiting area. He put his head in his hands and sobbed quietly. Charlie was not a man known to show an excess of emotions so I knew he was taking this very hard. I walked over to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.**_

_"**Would you like me to get you some coffee Charlie?"**_

_**He looked up at me with tear rimmed eyes and nodded.**_

_"**Thank you, Alice, for everything."**_

_**I sat down next to him. "Bella is my sister." I explained. "No thanks are needed. I am just glad we are here."**_

_"**When I got the radio call in from Detective Conner, I thought my heart would stop. I kept thinking 'not this again' He put her through so much the last time, ya know. And now this." He looked like he was going to break down again and cleared his throat to cover it up."**_

_"**She is very strong Charlie and very courageous." I said gravely.**_

_"**That she is. Uh, how's Edward doing? He is the one that found her."**_

_**I looked down at my hands. "Frankly, not so well. When he found her…well…let's just say it pushed him beyond the limits of his usual control. Carlisle told him to go take a walk to clear his head."**_

_**He nodded. "He's a good man, your brother. I didn't think so at first but he kind of grows on you."**_

_**I patted his leg and got up. "Let me go get you that coffee. Let me guess, black three sugars?"**_

_"**You must be psychic Alice."**_

_**I just smiled and walked off toward the vending machine.**_

_**Edward POV**_

_**I had no idea where I was headed when I left the waiting area. I just knew I had to escape or explode. I was grateful to Carlisle for suggesting it even if it didn't seem that way at the time.**_

_**I walked past the antiseptic smells, the minds full of thoughts of worry and grief so like my own and I found myself inside the chapel of the hospital. The room was small with lit candles and pews with no one sitting in them. Briefly I thought of my own audacity, a soulless creature come to beg for the life of another. Would I be struck down by lightning by daring to ask such a favor, knowing soon after the wedding, Bella would be just as soulless as I?**_

___**She doesn't believe you are soulless. **__**The voice inside my head whispered. I sat down and tried to remember what it used to feel like to sit in a church. My hands clasped, I prayed to whatever supreme being that blessed my life with my beautiful Bella.**_

_"**I know I have no right to ask you this "I said looking at the cross on the altar in front of me "but please let her be alright. I love her so much. She is my life and without her I have nothing left. Even if you don't see fit to do it for me, please for Charlie, Renee and everyone else that loves her."**_

_**I felt a presence beside me. It was a priest and I wondered if he could instinctively sense who or rather what I was**_

_"**My son, why do you think you have no right to be here?" He asked inquisitively.**_

_"**Because I am soulless" I replied brokenly.**_

_**He let out a quick laugh. "A man with no soul would not be here begging for the life of the woman he loves. A man with no soul wouldn't care if he had the right to be here or not. Remember, God denies no man whether or not he thinks he is without a soul or not." With that remark, he got up and left me to my prayers.**_

_**I slumped in grief then, burying my face in my hands sobbing. That was how Carlisle found me over an hour later.**_


	18. Answered Prayers

Edward POV

Startled momentarily by Carlisle's sudden appearance, I looked up at him trying to read his features as well his mind for any news, any indication that my Bella would be alright.

He shook his head as he approached me and sat down next to me.

"She is still in surgery but I don't think it will be much longer now. Because I am Bella's doctor, they have given me some updates but not as much as I would like." _I'd be comfortable if she were at the Forks hospital. _He added silently.

So would I, I thought. I wouldn't have to be subjected to adhering to normal visiting hour rules, not that I would let that stop me from seeing Bella but it made things more difficult.

"What have you heard so far?" I asked him.

"Well, it looks like the bullet went straight through and didn't damage any major organs. She did and probably still does need some transfusions for the blood loss. That's what caused the problems in the ambulance, by the way."

I could tell it pained him as much to tell me the information nearly as much as it pained me to hear it. Bella was a daughter to him and had been for a long time, regardless of the fact that Bella and I were not married yet.

I swallowed and stared straight ahead, processing the information that he gave me. "In your professional opinion, will she be okay?"

I could see Carlisle nod in my peripheral vision and I closed my eyes in thanks. "I believe physically, she will heal quite nicely and they have a top notch plastic surgeon here, so any scarring would be minimal."

I let out a derisive laugh. As if I cared about the scars.

_I know you care naught about her scarring. I apologize if you thought I implied that. _Carlisle thought.

My mind backtracked to something else Carlisle said and it set my mind on edge. "You said _physically_, she'll be fine. What exactly do you mean?"

He sighed and raked his fingers through his hair and I briefly wondered if I picked up the habit from him or the other way around. "She has been through quite an ordeal, Edward. Both physically _and_ mentally. Her body is not the only thing that needs to heal." _Your mind needs to heal as well, my son._

Nodding, I let my thoughts turn inward and I thought back to what the priest had told me.

"I must admit that I find it odd to find you in here." Carlisle said almost as if he could read my mind at not vice versa.

Where would I have gone, I thought. Outside was too far and anywhere else in the hospital would only subject me to the painful thoughts of others that were worried about the lives of their own loved ones. "Carlisle, do you think I am soulless?" I asked curious as to his answer. If any of us in my family, with the exception of Bella, had a soul, it was Carlisle.

My question surprised him. "What brought that on?" he asked.

I looked down and shook my head. "It's silly, really, but a priest overheard me earlier when I was…well…when I was praying. I had said that I had no right to be in here. He had questioned why and I told him because I am without a soul. He had seemed amused at first then told me that if I was soulless, I wouldn't be in here begging for the life of someone I loved."

_Ahh, _in understanding and I could tell he was trying to find the right words to say because his thoughts were so jumbled. I waited expectantly for his answer. He didn't speak out loud for fear of anyone overhearing.

"_We never spoke of your change that much and only in the telling of some details and I am sorry I never put it to you like this before. Maybe it would have caused you less grief if I had." _He shook his head as if chastising himself. "_But I will explain now. Edward, you were very ill when I changed you, as you know, moments away from death. I didn't want to do it. It went against everything that I ever stood for, everything I promised myself. Your mother, she seemed to know somehow, who or rather _what_ I was. I don't' know how. Maybe because she was so close to death that she could see things most humans cannot. I can still see the desperation in her eyes as she gripped my shirt and begged me to save you. And against what I thought was right, I did it._

_Edward, there is nothing greater than a mother's love for her child. Knowing what she knew of me, do you think that she would have ever asked me to change her son, her beloved child, believing she was damning him to a soulless existence?" _

It was a lot to take in. I never thought of it in that sense before.

"Think about it Edward" Carlisle said out loud with a hand on my shoulder. _"After all, in your mind, you love Bella too much to damn her. Do you honestly believe that your mother's love for you was less than yours is for Bella, where your own mother would let you suffer eternal damnation just so you could live? I don't believe any mother would knowingly condemn her child to that fate and Elizabeth _did_ know. She was very ill but as I said, she did know what I was and what I had the power to do."_

I nodded dazedly. "You've given me a lot to think about Carlisle."

My mind was trying to come up with some sort of negating question like Carlisle was on the witness stand and I was a lawyer trying to find holes in his defense but there was nothing I could think of. What if I _wasn't _damned, what if I _did_ have a soul like my beloved believed I did?

I was still reeling from the thought when Alice poked her head in. She looked anxious and all my worries about Bella came crashing down on me. She must have seen the horrified expression on my face because she smiled suddenly trying to alleviate my fears.

"I just wanted to let you know that they'll be wheeling Bella to recovery in about 10 minutes." She informed us.

"Thank you for letting us know, Alice." Carlisle said

_I told you Bella would be okay _Alice thought looking at me smugly. _As for your car, I'd like to see you explain _that_ one to the insurance agency._

Both Carlisle and I got up to follow Alice out the door. Before we left the chapel, I turned around to look at the large crucifix above the altar. "Thank you." I whispered.

Bella POV

I was in our meadow gazing at the blooms when I saw her, a woman with curly bronze hair floating towards me. I knew she was an angel, somehow, even though she didn't have wings.

"Am I dead then?" I asked dejectedly knowing Edward would never survive it if I was.

She smiled at me and shook her head. "No dear. You are not dead."

"Then where am I and who are you?" I demanded to know.

"So inquisitive." She said. "It is no wonder Edward loves you so."

Who was this woman and how did she know Edward?

"We're somewhere in-between life and death. The only safe place I could talk to you. I am Elizabeth Masen." She said in her beautiful voice walking closer to me.

Elizabeth Masen? Edward's mother? I could see the resemblance now that it was brought to my attention.

She laughed. It was a tinkling, musical sound. "I see you know who I am."

I nodded, feeling almost thunderstruck. "You're Edward's mother."

She nodded. "Yes and I wanted to thank you."

"For what?" I asked. What possible reason would this angel have to thank me?

"For loving my son." She said simply.

I couldn't help it but I snorted in disbelief. "Thank me? You should be screaming at me. I've brought your son nothing but pain."

She looked horrified at my words. "Oh, no Bella. That is not true. You have given my son great joy. The love that I had always imagined for him, the love I always hoped for him. He had waited so very long for you Bella." Her hand touched my arm so I could feel the truth of her words. "I had agonized whether or not I had made the right choice when I begged the doctor to save him as only he could." She smiled then, a full joyful smile. "But now, I am at peace knowing I did. Thank you."

What did one say to that? It seemed like a simple 'you're welcome' wouldn't even begin to cover it.

"You don't need to thank me." I finally said trying to convey all of my love for Edward in the tone of my voice. "I love your son with all that I am. He is my life."

"As you are his." She paused briefly then continued. "You need to go back now Bella. He is waiting for you."

She kissed me on the cheek so softly I almost didn't feel it and suddenly I was floating. My body felt weightless and I saw nothing as I descended downward. Strangely enough I wasn't scared. Until, I felt like I was in my own body that is.

I became aware of a pain in my side that seemed to be itching as well. My eyes struggled to open and when they partially did I saw nothing but blurry shapes and images under glaring fluorescent light. As my vision was adjusting, I could start to make out enough images to put together the pieces of the puzzle. I was in a hospital, _again._

The first thing I became aware of was the IV needle in my arm. My eyes followed the tubing up to the bag and for a moment I just watched the slow, steady drip from the bag into the tube. I turned my head slightly and it was then that I saw him. _Edward._

He was staring out the window watching the rain fall, arms crossed over his chest. Even though his position looked relaxed, there was an undercurrent of anxiousness to his frame. Just seeing him there made me ache to wrap my arms around him. My heart rate increased as the heart monitor indicated and he turned to look at me so swiftly, it startled me.

I saw such blinding anguish in his eyes that if I was standing, it would have floored me. No man, especially the one I loved, should ever have that expression on his face.

"Bella" he whispered in his tortured velvet voice, his expression going from torment to elation.


	19. Awakenings

Edward POV

My body and soul ached for her as I sat watching her, touching her, praying for her to awaken. After a while though it had proved to be too painful to gaze at Bella with so many machines hooked up to her fragile body and I turned my attention toward the window watching the rain. I didn't know how long I sat here staring. Time for me had ceased to exist and wouldn't start again until Bella woke up. Even though both Carlisle and Alice assured me over and over again that Bella would be okay, that her body needed the rest and that is why she didn't waken once the anesthesia wore off, I wouldn't be satisfied until I saw her beautiful brown eyes look at me.

Thankfully because of Alice, I knew I wouldn't have to wait much longer. We all took our turns visiting Bella in shifts and Alice arranged it so I would be the one in here when she finally regained consciousness.

During the afternoon we had given our statements to the Bellingham police editing out any details of Alice's visions and the help given to us by the wolves about how we had come to be at the scene before they had arrived. We had instead fabricated a story that Carlisle had a police band radio which he used to monitor any major accidents in case extra staff was needed at Forks Hospital. Fortunately, no one had asked us to produce it since we didn't have one but Charlie had vouched for us and they took him at his word.

I heard then a sudden difference in the beeping of the heart monitor and swiftly turned around worried that maybe something was wrong and I would lose her after all. Bella stared back at me, her expression one of confusion and pain.

"Bella" I whispered and moved swiftly to her side and took her hand in mine needing the contact with her warm skin. "How to you feel?" I asked her anxiously.

"Like I've been hit by a freight train." She said groggily, her voice scratchy from lack of use. She tried to sit up but I gently pushed her back down. Her brows furrowed and she looked at me questioningly.

"Don't strain yourself." I softy scolded her as I tucked a tendril of her hair behind her hair. "Do you remember what happened?"

She paused for a moment to collect her thoughts. Comprehension washed over her delicate features and I heard her voice catch in fear.

"Grady…he shot me." Her hand instinctively went to the bandage at her side.

To prevent her from further hurting herself I caught her hand. "Don't." I said.

"Grady?" She questioned.

"He's dead." I assured her. "You shot him." Even now when I realized she was okay, the fury of what he had done, of what she felt she had to do reverberated through me like a tangible force. I had to restrain myself from displaying my baser instincts.

"Good." She said with a small smile and I wondered how she could be so calm about it when all I wanted to do was rip everything apart in a rage.

I forced the fury back down with great effort. "I'm just going to call the nurse." I told her pressing the button on the control panel by her bed "They will want to know that you're awake. Also, you should know that Carlisle made some special arrangements here and he is now taking over your care until you are released.

"I wonder how he managed that." She sounded more amused than bemused.

"It's Carlisle" I said shrugging as if that explained everything.

"Charlie?" She questioned taking a sip of the water I poured for her.

"He went to pick up your mom from the airport."

Bella was eerily silent and I fervently wished now more than ever that I could read her thoughts. Knowing Bella though she was worried more about her mom being upset than she was about worried about herself. She cupped her hand to my cheek as if she realized what I was thinking and I pressed my hand over her own to keep it there needing the physical contact.

"Are _you_ okay?" She asked me worriedly.

I closed my eyes, shook my head and couldn't help the acerbic laugh that escaped my mouth.

"What?" she asked me.

"Here you are lying in a hospital bed, recovering from a bullet wound and you're asking me how _I_ feel?" I asked her incredulously.

Her brows furrowed in a "V" "Well…yeah…I guess I am." Bella's selflessness always astounded me.

"Oh, Bella. What am I going to do with you?" I leaned over kissed her forehead. "I'm doing alright…_now_." I didn't elaborate. I couldn't knowing it would cause her added stress that she didn't need. If she only knew how insane I went when I found out she was taken and the history behind it. There was also a part of me I had to acknowledge that was angry and hurt that she never came to me about it.

Before she had a chance to question me further, Carlisle walked in with the nurse.

"How's our favorite patient?" Carlisle asked her. _I'm glad to see you looking much relieved Edward._

I nodded though much more interested in hearing Bella's answer.

"I've been better." She said and I sighed wishing for once she would be honest and stop covering the pain I knew she had to be feeling for my benefit.

I watched Carlisle as he checked over her charts and eyed the machines carefully while the nurse took her blood pressure and temperature. After she wrote down the information in the charts, she left the room to attend to her other patients.

"You're vitals are much improved." He told her "But we still have to watch for any sign if infection. Not an uncommon side effect of major surgery." Carlisle looked at me pointedly. _So don't panic if she gets a fever. _He silently told me. _I know you have a tendency to react on the overprotective side when it comes to Bella._

I wouldn't disagree as he was stating the obvious. My world revolved around Bella now. I had waited over 100 years for her. Should anything or anyone take her from me, there would be nothing left to keep me here on this earth.

Bella POV

"When can I go home?" I asked Carlisle wanting nothing more than to go home.

He laughed. "Why don't we see how you are healing first before we decide upon a release date?" Carlisle's tone became very serious then. "You are very lucky Bella that it wasn't much worse."

"I couldn't let him win" I whispered and felt Edward's hand tighten on mine giving me a silent message.

Alice bounded in the room then with Jasper trailing behind her with a smirk on his face.

"Everyone's talking about the courageous young woman who single-handedly beat a serial killer." She said nearly bursting with the news. "Emmett's holding back the reporters as we speak."

'What?" I shouted nearly coming out of the bed and Edward once again had to restrain me from doing any damage to myself. This was not happening, I thought wanting to crawl under the covers and never show my face again.

"Relax. You're a hero." She said.

"Is that supposed to be helping Alice?" Edward growled at her.

She shrugged.

"I tried to convince her not to say anything Edward but you know how she is." Jasper said. "If it makes you feel any better, Emmett's already broken a few cameras."

Carlisle rolled his eyes. "Great. Let me go restrain my son." He said and turned to me. "Before I go, Bella, I wanted to let you know that the police would like to question you and get a statement. If you are not feeling up to it, I can always tell them to come back in the morning."

"No" I told him. "It's better if I just get this over with."

He nodded. "Okay, I'll let them know. Now, let me go find my wayward son."

After Carlisle left the room, Edward looked at me worriedly. "Are you sure you want to do this now?" He asked. "You just woke up and you have to be in considerable pain."

I was in a lot of pain, however if I let Edward know that, there would be no telling what he would prevent me from doing. "I'm sure. I just want to get my life back."

"Would you like me to stay here with you?" He asked.

That was a tough one to answer. I desperately wanted him with me, needed him by my side to assure myself it was over and Grady couldn't hurt me anymore. But, I also knew Edward. To have him sit here with me while I went over the details of what had occurred would be torture for him and I didn't want to be the cause of any more pain.

"It's not a trick question, love." He said noticing me bite my lower lip, a habit I had whenever I was conflicted or nervous.

I could feel Jasper's concerned eyes on me and knew he was feeling what I was. "She's conflicted." Jasper finally said. Edward turned to look at him as I kept my head down.

"Conflicted?" Edward sounded confused looking at Jasper then at me.

"Need and fear, because she wants you to stay and guilt and worry because if you do stay, she is afraid it will hurt you to hear and she doesn't want you to suffer anymore than you have already."

Edward sucked in his breath and looked at me in alarm. "Is this true Bella?"

I nodded and turned away, my eyes still cast downward. I didn't want him to see that I was crying. He grasped my chin and turned my face towards him.

He shook his head and bent to kiss the tears from my cheeks. "Bella, please. I love you. I _need_ to be with _you_. Don't shut me out and don't ever fell guilty for needing me, especially now."

"But I've created so much pain for you al..." he silenced me with his mouth and pulled back shaking his head.

"Don't say that. Never say that. It's completely untrue." He smiled lopsidedly then. " Ask Alice."

"It's true" she said laughing. "We used to call him Mopeward."

I grinned. "Mopeward, huh? I'll have to remember that."

"But seriously, Bella." She said grabbing my hand. "Let him stay." She looked at Edward then but spoke to me. "He _needs_ to do this, to be there for you, to feel like he is doing something. When we were searching for you, it drove him mad that he couldn't do anything to protect you. Please give him this." She pleaded.

I looked at Edward and he slowly nodded. I could see the burning in his eyes as he gazed at me. As far as guilt trips went, Alice was the master. I nodded my assent just as two police officers knocked at the door.


	20. The Telling of the Tale

Edward POV

"But seriously, Bella." Alice said grabbing Bella's hand. "Let him stay." She looked at me then but spoke to her. "He _needs_ to do this, to be there for you, to feel like he is doing something. When we were searching for you, it drove him mad that he couldn't do anything to protect you. Please give him this." She pleaded.

Bella looked at me and I slowly nodded. I knew could see the burning in my gaze. I _did_ need to do this. I had failed her so miserably up to this point. Bella nodded her assent just as two police officers knocked at the door. One was female, the other male. Why did they need two officers intimidating her?

"Are you sure you want to stay?" Bella asked me.

Before I could say anything, Alice cut in. 'You might as well let him stay Bella, he'll just listen by the door anyway."

I scowled at my annoying but well meaning sister. She just looked at me smugly. _It'll be rough but_ _she'll be okay Edward, I promise._

"Hi!" The female officer said cheerily. "I'm Detective Harris and this is my partner Detective Cruz. But you can call us Sara and Ben. I'm Sara, he's Ben, of course." She was trying to be friendly to put Bella at ease but I could sense the tension coming off of her in waves.

"I'm Bella and this is my fiancé', Edward" She said eyeing them guardedly.

"Bella, we'll see you later." Alice said giving her a peck on the cheek. "C'mon Jazz." She said taking his hand and with a final wave she was out the door.

The detectives pulled up two chairs to sit beside Bella on the opposite side of me and the male detective pulled out a recorder and a note pad.

"We're going to record this. Is that okay with you Bella?" Cruz said.

"uh…sure…I guess" she mumbled. I heard Bella's heart rate start to increase and to soothe her I rubbed my thumb in circles over her arm. She looked at me gratefully. In truth, my fingers on her arm served to soothe me as well. I didn't know all the details from what happened; just the pieces that Alice saw and those drive me insane. I was thankful that at this moment I couldn't see into Bella's thoughts. It would be too torturous to maintain whatever threads of my composure that I had left if I were able to envision it all. Just listening to the account would test my limits. I steered myself to be strong for Bella's sake.

"Are you ready?" Sara asked her gently.

Bella nodded taking a sip of water. "Where would you like me to start?"

"Hold on a second Bella. I need to say something." I interrupted her and looked directly at the cops. "Bella is recovering from major surgery as I am sure you know. While I realize that this has to be done…if at any point this proves to be too much for her, I will have to ask you to stop and continue at another time. I cannot and I will not compromise her health." I felt the heat of Bella's blush before I saw it and squeezed her hand. "You are far too precious to me love." I whispered to her before she had a chance to protest.

_Wow, I wish some guy would stick up for me like that. I'm stuck with Cruz here._ "Of course Edward." Sara said nodding in agreement. "We completely understand." She turned to Bella. "Why don't we start at the beginning?" Cruz turned on the digital recorder.

I felt Bella stiffen beside me. "Be...beginning?" she stuttered out horrified.

As if the detective knew to what she was referring to, she suddenly looked aghast at her error. "Oh, no, no, honey. Not _that_ beginning. Just from where he found you outside the karate studio."

Bella briefly closed her eyes and let out a sigh of relief. "Okay, then." Her brows furrowed while she was collecting her thoughts. "I had just gotten out of my truck to the karate studio after coming back from the police station asking for help. No help there." She said in disgust. I swallowed back a hiss thinking about that asinine cop who dared refuse to help my Bella. She glanced at me quickly with an admonishing look as if sensing my anger.

I smiled slightly mouthing a "sorry" to her.

"He came up behind me as I was reaching for my purse that was on the seat. 'So nice to see you again Izzy.' He had said." She told us suppressing a shudder. I gently squeezed her hand for assurance and she continued. "He used to call me, Izzy, you see. No one had called me that in years because of him. Anyway, I knew I had to do something then so I swung my bag at him hoping to catch him off guard but he caught the bag and everything ended up spilling onto the concrete. That's when I noticed that he had a gun pointed at me. He told me he wanted me. I told him he couldn't have me and I lunged at him. I didn't care if he shot me at that point. I wasn't about to let him have me. He didn't shoot me though, he grabbed me." She paused to take another sip of water.

She seemed to be doing okay, for now, but I sure as hell wasn't. She _lunged_ at him while he had a gun pointed at her? Had she no sense of self preservation at all? My mind pictured her bloody and dying in the parking lot and this time I couldn't suppress the less than human growl that escaped my lips. It was Bella's turn apparently to squeeze my hand in reassurance. It reminded me that she was safe, here and with me.

"Is that when he got you into his car?" Cruz asked after giving me an odd look. _Was that a growl?_

Bella shook her head. "Not really. I fought him, trying to kick him but then he threatened to shoot the woman across the street. 'You don't want another death on your conscience, do you?' he had said and I knew he would kill her. So I stopped struggling. _That _is when he got me into his car."

"Bastard" I muttered. Of course she would care more for someone else's life than her own. Somehow that freak knew that.

"What happened next sweetie?" Sara asked.

Bella looked at me trying to gage my demeanor at this point, to see how close to the edge I really was and I was teetering precariously close, But I couldn't let her see how much this was affecting me. If I allowed her to sense even the smallest amount of my suffering she would downplay everything or worse, kick me out altogether and I couldn't let her do either. I would sit here and try to be silent. My breakdown could come later.

"We drove off, leaving Forks."

"Did he say anything to you in the car?"

She flinched in remembrance. "He let me know that he saw me with Edward."

"And?" Sara prompted.

"And he didn't like it. That I was his. I lied to him, told him nothing was going on between us." She looked at me apologetically. She was asking my forgiveness for lying about our relationship to save her life?

"No Bella." I whispered. "Don't you dare apologize for _that._"

"Did he believe you?" Cruz asked.

She scowled. "No. I didn't think he would but I had to try, you know?" She asked rhetorically. "He said there were ways to see if I was still intact." She cringed. "He was going to have me examined to see if I still had my virginity. There was no way in hell I would let that happen." She fumed angrily at the memory. "That's when I tried to escape from the car. I dint care how fast we were going I just knew I had to get out. He grabbed me by the hair as I fumbled with the locks. He said I was becoming too much trouble and slammed my head against the dashboard. The next thing I remember was waking up in front of the doctor's office."

My eyes jumped to her hairline and sure enough there was a raised bruise. Why hadn't I noticed that before?

Bella looked at me and I could see that she wanted to comfort me. "It's okay" she said. "I'm here, I'm alive." She soothed.

No thanks to me, I thought. I held in a bitter laugh at the thought that she was comforting me while she was the one reliving the horror of what had been done to her. I was only a bystander to this sordid tale. I shoved my fingers through my hair wanting to rip it out in aggravation but I reigned myself back in.

"Yes, we spoke with the doctor." Sara said. "You don't need to tell us what happened at his office with the exam. It was very resourceful that you left the note. I did want to ask how did you get a hold of a pen."

"When Grady was trying to convince the doctor to examine me, I swiped the pen from the reception desk and stuck it up my sleeve. After…after the exam I made an excuse to go to the bathroom and wrote the note."

Sara nodded. "Very resourceful, Bella. What happened next?"

"He drove for a very long time until we arrived at a warehouse, the one where I was found. He…he didn't touch me then. He wanted to wait until the morning. He tied me up though, with some sort of synthetic bonds. 'We can't have you go and break your wrists with handcuffs again.'" Her voice drifted off repeating Grady's words.

Gnashing my teeth together, I had to look away to compose myself. The room began to feel too small, too hot and I looked down to realize my hands were shaking.

_He doesn't look too good. Is he okay?_ I heard the thoughts of Cruz in my head. I turned to him with a half smile and a nod. _Did he just read my freakin' mind? Nah._

"When he fell asleep I tried using my teeth to fray the bonds so I could untie myself but they were too strong. I knew what was going to happen when he woke up so I had to come up with a plan B. Plan A wasn't working out how I had hoped." She shrugged.

"Plan B?" Sara questioned with a bit of humor in her voice.

Bella smiled shyly back at her. "Yeah, plan B." I knew what was coming next and my free hand, the one that wasn't holding on the Bella's squeezed the hospital chair. It dented under my pressure and again I had to strive for control. "There was no way in hell I was going to let him do to me what he wanted to." She sounded angrily determined, even now. "I told him I didn't want to fight…us…anymore."

"You were trying to turn the tables on him by seemingly giving him what he wanted." Cruz nodded approvingly.

"I didn't want to. It made me sick to do it but I knew he had the gun tucked into his back waistband and if I could just get to it I would have a shot at escaping. Pardon the pun." Bella said letting out a nervous laugh. I caressed her cheek with my hand and she leaned into my touch briefly before she braced herself and continued on. "He kissed me and as disgusted as I was, I had to let it happen." Tears leaked from her eyes then and it nearly broke me. "I begged him to untie me telling him that I wanted to touch him too." She shivered in disgust. "He got so excited that he did. When he tried to fondle me, I put my arms around him letting him think…letting him think I…I wanted him. That's when I reached for the gun. I unlatched the safety before putting my fingers around the trigger and taking it. He felt what I was doing and grabbed my wrist, the one that had the gun. We struggled. I wasn't about to let the gun go. I heard the gun go off then I felt the pain. I knew then he had shot me." She stopped to pull in a deep breath.

Oh, Bella, my brave beautiful girl. I just wanted to cradle her in my arms and never let her go. I didn't know what was worse, seeing it through Alice's vision or hearing the despair in Bella's voice as she spoke about it.

"How did you get the gun at that point?" Sara asked. She looked genuinely intrigued at all Bella had done. _Such a courageous girl. Most women would have caved in hysterics._

"He was so stunned that he actually shot me that he let go of the gun. I never let it go. I took the opportunity and shot him…in the head I think. I don't remember much after that until Edward found me."

I couldn't help but wrap my arms around her then as her tears broke loose and her shoulder shook from the force. "Shh" I whispered to her kissing her hair. "You're okay now. I'm with you. Everything will be alright."

She clutched her fingers in my shirt and I felt her nod. "I'm so very sorry." She said in a tormented voice.

"For what?" her apologies confused me.

"For so many things."

"Thank you so much Bella." Sara said as she and Cruz got up. "I know that wasn't easy to do. You are a very brave woman."

"We'll just file this report and let you get your rest." Cruz said. "It was an honor to meet you."

Bella turned to them. "Am I going to jail?" she whispered. I stiffened. Surely, they wouldn't.

Sara gasped, her eyes going wide. "Whatever for?"

"I killed someone."

"No honey. You saved yourself." She said in a maternal manner. "No one is sending you to prison."

"Okay." Bella visibly relaxed. I couldn't say the same for myself. Coiled like a spring ready to break, I knew I had to slip away, to get out of there before I exploded and brought all my anger at Grady and all my fear at almost losing Bella again on her lap. She didn't need that from me.

Thankfully, I heard Charlie and Renee coming down the hall.

"Your parents are here." I told her. She pulled away from me to look into my face and I forced a smile to my lips. "You should have some alone time with them. Renee is kind of frantic right now. "

"I'll have to calm her down." She said. "That can't have been easy for you to hear. I could feel you almost snap several times. Will you be alright?"

"And here I thought I was doing a remarkably good job of pretending." I grinned.

"I know you too well and you completely evaded my question."

"I'll be fine." I kissed her forehead as Charlie and Renee entered the room. Unable to hold back anymore, I greeted her parents briefly, gave last tender look at Bella and fled.

I ran past the doctors, past the visitors, past a surprised Carlisle and Esme, past Alice, Rosalie, Jasper and Emmett, past Seth, Sam and the other wolves in humans form and out the door. I didn't know where I was going; I just knew I had to get out, to escape before I broke down completely in front of everybody. Even now, knowing that she was safe, I felt the suffocating grief overcome me.


	21. Family Discussions

Bella POV

Edward barely greeted my parents before running out of the room as if demons were chasing him. He tried to cover the tormented expression with a calm mask but I could see right through it. Guilt hit me like a physical force. Selfish Bella! I thought chastising myself. I should have never listened to Alice's pleas to let him stay in the room. I was the most miserable excuse for girlfriend there ever was. Maybe he was disgusted by me for what I had done to free myself. God knows I was disgusted with myself. Face it Bella, you let that disgusting animal kiss you and fondle you. How was Edward supposed to feel?

Charlie and Renee must have noticed the pained expression on my face because they ran to me with worried expressions on their faces.

"Are you in pain Baby? Should we get a doctor in here?" Renee asked me.

I shook my head. "It's not that sort of pain." I told her, wiping the tears that came unbidden to my eyes. "The police just left. I had to give them a statement and Edward heard it all."

Charlie looked confused but a look understanding came over my mother's face. "Ahh, I see" She said smoothing my hair from my face. "How do you feel?"

"Not great." I admitted. I was happy my parents were here but I hated them seeing me like this. They looked like they felt guiltier than I did.

"I'm so sorry, Bells. That I wasn't here when you needed me the most." Charlie said, his voice breaking. "I should have been here."

"It's okay Dad. You didn't know. You're here now and that s what counts."

"Thank God Edward found you." Renee said. "Your dad told me how he got to you so fast."

"Yeah, I was lucky." I said yawning.

"You're tired. You should get some rest."

"Mom. I'm in a hospital. All I have been doing is resting."

Mentally, my mind was with Edward. Where did he run too? I hoped someone would go after him. I hated to see him hurting like that especially when it was my fault.

"Bells, your mom is right. Your body needs to heal. Don't forget you have a wedding in a little over a month or will you postpone it?"

"No!" I said alarmed. "The date is still August 13." Surely I would be better by then, I hoped. I'd go down the aisle in a wheelchair if I had to. That is if Edward still wanted me.

"Shh" My mother soothed. "You don't have to think about that now. Just concentrate on getting better." She gave my dad a scolding look.

"Sorry." He said looking sheepish for even mentioning it.

'It's okay, Dad." I said my voice slurring either from the morphine drip or from my tiredness, I couldn't tell. My eyelids kept closing out of their own volition as I fought to stay awake.

"Sleep baby." My Mom said kissing my forehead. We'll be here if you need us."

"Thanks Mom." I said losing the battle to keep my eyes open and drifted off to sleep.

Alice POV

I spied Edward run past me at barely a human pace towards the hospital exit. He looked desperate for escape. One of the reporters that hadn't left due to Emmett's threats tried to stop Edward to ask questions but he snarled at him as he flung open the door. Briefly I wondered if staying with Bella while she spoke with the police was _not _the best idea I ever had. Rosalie turned to me with a bewildered expression on her face.

"What was that all about?" She asked.

"I'm afraid I have made an error in judgment."

"Say it isn't so." Rosalie exclaimed placing her palm over her mouth in mock horror.

I looked at her seriously and nodded. I knew Rosalie had been trying to joke with me so I didn't get mad at her. Because of her previous experiences, even she had been beyond worried about Bella. Bella's courageousness only served to strengthen the fragile bond that Rosalie and Bella just started to share.

"I had convinced Bella to let Edward stay with her while she gave her police statement." I explained. "She didn't want to, saying it would cost him too much to hear and she didn't want to do that to him. Judging by the way he ran out of here just now, I believe she may have been right."

"No" she said emphatically. "_You_ were right. Trust me on this one. I know Edward just as well as you do. You know how he is." She rolled her eyes. "Was it painful for him to hear? Yes, of course it was but I think it would have been worse for his state of mind as well as Bella's if he wasn't there. Bella needs the support even if she may not want it and feels guilty for asking for it, trust me, I've been there. And so has Emmett." Rosalie was ever the pragmatist.

"Perhaps we should find him."

"I think that would be a good idea." She said getting up from her chair.

Jasper and Emmett ran over to us. "Where are you going?" They asked in unison.

"To find Edward." Rosalie answered them. She looked at Emmett expressing a silent message. "He kind of took off."

Emmett nodded in understanding. "We'll come with you."

We didn't have to look long. Edward sat on the curb right outside the entrance to the hospital obviously not wanting to be too far away from Bella. His hands clasped in his hair, eyes staring unseeingly at the ground.

"I really screwed things up didn't I?" He asked hearing us approach him.

"Well running away like there was a fire on your ass didn't help but I don't think you did anything that can be undone" Rosalie told him. "Just do not make this about you Edward. This is only about Bella."

"Rose!" I scolded. He didn't need her telling him that. I knew he felt bad enough already.

He turned to us with a look of self hatred on his face. "No, Alice. She's right. Bella needed me to be strong for her and what did I do? I ran." He gave a self depreciating laugh. "I always run."

"Listen to me Edward." Rosalie demanded grabbing his shoulders forcing him to look at her. "She just needs your support right now and if you need to get angry or emotional or whatever it is you need to do, _fine._ But don't fucking run from her Edward. She doesn't need that from you, especially you. When I told Emmett what happened to me, He sobbed like a baby."

"I did bro." Emmett said nodding when Edward looked at him for confirmation.

"And more importantly, he didn't run from me."

"But then you got so angry you tore up the whole forest, Emmett." I said.

"Not the _whole_ forest. Rosie joined me."

"And it felt damn good." Rosalie smiled wistfully at the memory. "The point I am trying to make Edward is be honest with her about how you feel. _We _know that you are not disgusted by her. _We_ know that as much pain as you felt listening to what she went through, you still needed to be there for her."

"But she doesn't know that." I cut in seeing the vision of what had happened when Edward left the room. "All she saw was your retreating back as you ran from the room." _She looked as if she was gut punched, Edward._

I didn't think Edward could look anymore tormented than he already was but I was wrong. He shook his head violently, his mouth open as if he wanted to scream but nothing came out.

"NO!" he said and got up so quickly he caught us all off guard. "What have I done?" he asked in a moan to no one in particular.

Edward must have seen the vision in my head as well because he was already turning towards the door to go back inside. He truly looked disgusted with himself.

"Oh and Edward?" Jasper called out to him. 'You might want to also come to terms with the fact that you're angry at Bella as well. That's not something you want festering between you."

Edward looked confused. "No…I…No." He stuttered out in protest shaking his head.

"I would be angry with Alice too, if she had kept me in the dark about someone that wanted to cause her harm." Jasper said looking directly at me.

Edward's expression was both thoughtful and serious. He nodded once and went back inside.

Edward POV

There was no denying they had all given me much to think about, especially Rosalie. I had only run to shield Bella from my grief over what she had been through. I did not want to be the cause of any more strain. Could it be possible that she thought I was running from _her_? As if that were even possible. But the thought, once it had taken root, could not be dislodged so easily. I had caused my Bella pain…_again_.

Jasper's words had caught me off guard as well. Was I angry at Bella? Could Jasper detect some emotion in me that I did not realize was even there? He struck a chord however with what he said, one that I didn't want to admit to myself was there let alone anyone else. I _was_ angry. Not at Bella per se but at the fact that she would purposefully hinder me from keeping her safe. Even if what Esme had said before was true, it brought little ease to mind. I could have kept her safe. It would have cost nothing to my conscience to kill such a vile monster. Bella had sacrificed herself for nothing. _That _was what made me truly irate. Bur Jasper was right. She would have to know at some point…just not now, not when she looked so frail and fragile…more so than usual.

So many things made sense now. How she felt nauseous at the smell of blood. It amazed me when she said she could smell it. _Rust and salt_, she had said. Now I knew why, as the images from Detective Conner flooded my brain of a handcuffed, young Bella in a room with so many dead, bloodied bodies. Inwardly, I mourned for the young girl that she was and was awed at the woman she had become.

I quickly made my way towards her room but slowed my pace when I spied her parents lingering in the door way. They were whispering amongst themselves but I could hear them clearly.

"Why does it seem like half the time I see her, Charlie, she is battling death in a hospital bed." Renee asked her ex-husband tearfully. It would seem like that to Renee because unfortunately it was true. The only time recently that she had seen her daughter hale and whole was when we went to visit her in Florida. It barely assuaged my guilt knowing that this time, however, had not been my fault…just barely.

"She's resilient Renee.'" Charlie told her soothingly.

"She just looks so broken….again. For as long as I live, I _never_ want to see her like this." On that, Renee and I were in full agreement.

It was time to make my presence known. I cleared my throat not wanting to brazenly interrupt them. They looked up at me and Renee' launched herself at me enveloping me a tight hug. I prayed that she would not notice the abnormal cold temperature of my skin through my clothes.

"Thank you." She whispered. "Thank you for saving my Bella. Charlie told me what you did." She said pulling back and maternally smoothing out my shirt. I distinctly remembered the conversation I overheard in Florida when Bella and her mother were talking. Renee' mentioned to Bella that I looked at her as if I were prepared to jump in front of a bullet for her. I had chuckled then knowing how much it was true but there was no humor in the memory now. I _hadn't_ been there to jump in front of the bullet.

"Please don't thank me." I told her. "I wasn't able to stop him from shooting her…or from him taking her in the first place for that matter."

"But you were there to make sure the bleeding didn't get any worse. You kept a clear head and that saved her life." Charlie said patting me on the back.

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak. It was ironic. I was always hoping for Charlie's approval of me since I had come back into Bella's life after causing her so much pain. It now seemed as if I had it. But I didn't want it like this…never like this.

"She's sleeping now. But I am sure you can sit with her for awhile." Renee told me.

"Yes, I would like that." It meant a great deal to me that Renee' would say that but even if she didn't offer, I would have found a way to slip in silently during the night. It suddenly occurred to me that I didn't know what _their _plans were for the night. "Are you spending the night here?"

Charlie shook his head. 'Nah, there's a Holiday Inn not too far away. We'll stop by there and get a couple of rooms."

"Nonsense, Charlie. My family has rooms over at the Hotel Bellwether. You can stay there. Don't worry about the cost." I told him.

"That's okay Edward. " He said awkwardly. "The Holiday Inn will be fine." It struck me that he was uncomfortable with my family picking up the tab. Now I knew where Bella got this particular behavior from. I knew better than to argue with him if my debates with Bella were any example.

Not able to wait anymore to see Bella, I conveyed my goodbyes and walked into Bella's room. Even though I knew what to expect, the sight of Bella, her face nearly as white as the pillow she was resting on, the machines linked to her monitoring every heartbeat still elicited a sharp intake of breath. What I would give to see the color rise into her cheeks. And her scent, how I missed her true scent! Even if it did cause me a pleasurable pain. Surely it would be better than the medicinal smell of her blood that I now inhaled.

Crossing the room quickly, I sat in the chair beside her bed and took her hand in mind, prepared to keep vigil by her bedside. It was then that I noticed the subtle shaking of her body and the steady increase of her heart rate. Her fingers started to twitch, then her legs. Something was very wrong. Her brows furrowed.

"No Edward. Don't leave me." She cried out in her slumber. "Please" She begged.

Ahh, a nightmare. To console her like I had so many times before when this particular night time demon reared it's ugly head, I leaned to her to stroke her cheek and kiss her forehead. The skin under mine was burning hot. Carlisle did mention a fever was possible but surely he didn't mean like this.

"Bella." I whispered to her. "Bella, it's Edward. I'm right here."

"No…please…Edward…don't leave…You!..go away…Don't hurt me." She must be dreaming of Grady now. Her body started to thrash violently and her eyes opened but only the whites were visible. If I didn't know better, I would think she had been bitten and was going through the transformation. Without conscious thought, I hit the button for the nurse.

Bella's whole body was convulsing when not the nurse but Carlisle ran into the room.

"What's happening?" I asked panicked.

Carlisle said nothing as he checked her temperature. _105.6 She's having a febrile seizure Edward!_

"I thought you said a fever was normal, Carlisle" I couldn't help the accusation in my voice.

_It is _I heard him think _But not this high!_

Even with two medical degrees, I had no idea what to do. I was so alarmed that I was rendered impotent with fear.

"Quick, Edward. Open her mouth and make sure she is not biting or swallowing her tongue!" Carlisle's instructions had the power to move me. "Don't restrain her." Carlisle called out to me."See if you could open her mouth without doing that. You may cause more damage if you hold her down."

I knew that, of course I knew that but at the moment I couldn't think clearly. My Bella was suffering.


	22. Rosalie's Advice

BPOV

I was in the forest again. For some reason it was intensely hot, not cold and foggy as usual. The only chill came from the cold look in Edward's eyes as he stared at me. It was an unforgiving look.

"Sorry, Isabella. I can't stay with you now." He sounded unfeeling he used _that_ name, Isabella. He knew I hated being called that.

"No Edward. Don't leave me." I cried "Please" I reduced myself to begging, anything to keep him with me.

He smiled almost cruelly and walked away.

"No…please…Edward…don't leave" I ran to him and grabbed at his shirt trying to prevent him from leaving. I felt the hole in my chest that I thought had been closed, open up again even larger this time.

He turned again to me and it wasn't Edward anymore, it was Grady. I immediately let go of him. "You!..go away…Don't hurt me."

"You're mine now, Izzy" He said with a taunting sneer walking slowly towards me as if stalking his prey. I knew that prey was me.

I could feel my whole body shaking, thrashing, trying to escape him as he held me down. I fought punching and kicking but to no avail.

He was trying to open my mouth and I wanted to gag. Suddenly everything got cold and dark and I felt myself sinking into an unknown abyss.

_Beep…beep…beep_

The sound of the heart monitors woke me to reality. I felt cold. I mean really cold and it seemed to emanate from the weight pressing on my body. I willed my eyes to open but could only manage little slits. The room was dark with only a small amount of light filtering through the blinds. I spied Edward sitting in a chair, reading beside my bed. He was so beautiful with his hand tousled hair, it hurt just to look at him.

I tried to sit up slowly, regretting the action because of the sharp pain and lied back down again. Edward looked at me instantly, setting his book aside. I didn't bother to tell him that reading in this light would hurt his eyes. He could probably see the words in perfect clarity under the dimmest if lights. He had an anxious expression on his face as he gazed at me.

"Water?" I managed to croak out frowning at the sound of my voice. I sounded like a frog.

Silently he poured fresh water in my cup and placed his hand under the back of my neck to help me lift my head.

"Careful love, you're probably very stiff. How do you feel?"

"Cold" I said mentioning the first thing that came into my head.

"Ahh" He said understanding. What did he know that I didn't? "It's the cooling blanket. We had to put one on you last night. You had a very high fever and it resulted in a febrile seizure." He said grimacing undoubtedly from the memory.

"Febrile seizure? Don't only children get those?"

He let out a chuckle. "You always do seem to do the unexpected."

"You could have just laid with me all night, that would've helped me much better than the blanket."

"I don't think the nurses would have appreciated that, love." He chastised but I saw the look of mirth in his eyes.

"Yes, well, can we take the damn thing off now? I'm freezing." I went to throw off the offending blanket but Edwards hands covered mine, effectively preventing me from doing so.

"Not until Carlisle or a nurse says we can." He said in a voice that brooked no argument. I couldn't help the pout that pursed my lips. Edward further explained. "I'm not taking any more chances where your health in concerned. You've already scared 150 years off my life. Let's not try for 200." He said in a husky voice with a half-hearted smile.

I wanted to tell him to please be serious but didn't say the words. His expression told me he _was_ serious. Not that I had literally scared 150 years off him, which was impossible, but that the events over the past few days had shaken him to his very core.

To diffuse the severity of the moment I opted for a change in subject. I looked at the book he had placed on the cabinet beside my bed. "So, what were you reading?"

"A Tale of Two Cities by Dickens" He said somewhat proudly.

I made a disgusted sound in my throat as I recalled having to read that long tome in AP English. It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, yadda, yadda, yadda. I don't even think I read the whole thing.

Edward smirked "Yes, I remember. You're a Bronte fan."

"Don't forget Jane Austen" I told him with a grin.

He rolled his eyes. "Female drivel"

Before I could let him know what I thought of his comment, Carlisle came into the room.

"So how's my favorite patient today?" he asked me.

"Carlisle, I am your only patient today…at least until we get back to Forks. Any idea of when that will be?"

"First things first, Bella, I want to check your temperature."

He put the thermometer in my mouth and after it beeped, he took it out and smiled.

"Excellent. We can take the cooling blanket off now. It appears to have done its job."

I stuck my tongue out at Edward. "Told you so" Carlisle raised his eyebrow questioningly "He wouldn't let me take it off until you said so." I responded to his silent question.

"Yes, well… Edward tends to be a little…er…overprotective where you're concerned."

"Given her penchant for all things dangerous, Carlisle, I think it's warranted, don't you?" Edward told him cocking an eyebrow.

Carlisle, wisely refrained from answering that question, out loud anyway. What he was telling Edward in his head was a different matter all together.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

My parents visited often as did all of the Cullens including Rosalie. Edward, looking less fraught with worry as time passed managed to stay with me every day. Somehow, he had dazzled the nurses on staff to ignore visiting hours for him. Of course he had to keep up the pretense of being human by eating but he was never gone for very long. The first time I was alone in my room, I reached for the remote control for the television, only to realize there wasn't one, no remote and no television. The brackets where the TV should be were there but nothing was on it. That was strange. I had questioned Edward about it when he came back into my room but he shrugged his shoulders.

"Do you really need a television Bella?" He asked me.

"Gee, Edward, I am in a hospital with nothing else to do…of course I need a TV!" Did I just snap at him? "Sorry, sorry. I guess sitting around here all day and night is making me a little stir crazy. I didn't mean to take it out on you."

"It's okay Bella. I understand."

I woke up later that evening to see Rosalie sitting by my bed looking at me. Startled, I jumped. She never made it a secret that she could barely tolerate me on the most basic of levels and I had no reason to believe that she would be nice now.

She smiled sadly. "I guess I deserved that." She said. " I know I have been…less than kind to you Bella but I would like to make amends."

I eyed her suspiciously. "What's the punch line?" I asked her.

She ignored the sarcastic remark and went on. "I am proud of you Bella."

This shocked me more than anything she could have said. "Excuse me…What?"

"You heard me correctly. You turned the tables on your attacker and you didn't even have to be a vampire to do it…unlike myself. I admire you for that."

"Rosalie, your situation was so much different than mine. I wasn't…" My voice trailed off not able to finish the sentence.

"Raped? Maybe not physically, no. But you were violated in so many other ways…I think what happened to me may have been better in some aspects. We are more alike than you think. We were both hurt by someone we thought we could trust." She saw my dumbfounded look. "Grady was your school guidance counselor, was he not?"

"How did you know?"

She looked around the room then, focusing on where the television should have been and let out a short laugh. "It's or I should say _you _have been all over the news though I am not surprised you don't know given Edward's diligence in keeping you uninformed."

So _that_ was why I had no television. Edward must have had someone remove it so I wouldn't inadvertently see what was being said about me.

"Have…have reporters been here?" I asked her afraid to know the answer.

She nodded. "You're national news Bella. Of course, we have all chipped in to keep them at bay, some methods not exactly lawful but you get the point. You're not the only one we had to keep from the TV, though. Edward was just about going insane."

"I could imagine." I mumbled.

Rosalie grabbed my hand then in a sisterly gesture that I found surprising. "Bella, I want to let you know that anytime, day or night, cause you know I don't sleep, you can talk to me."

She seemed so sincere it was hard not to believe her. Who knew that all it took for Rosalie to be nice to me was being abducted by a maniac that was _not_ a vampire?

"I will Rose."

"One more thing before I go. It's about Edward." I tensed suddenly afraid of what she was going to tell me. Was she trying to soften me up for the big blow that Edward didn't want me anymore? He had barely left my side but could he be staying out of pity?

Rosalie sensed my tension and sought to alleviate my fears. "No Bella, whatever you are thinking, I can assure that's not it."

"How can you be so positive?"

"Bella, he loves you, only you. For always. You _have_ to know that must be true if _I'm_ saying it." She smiled. "I just wanted to tell you that this is going to be hard for him to get through, not as hard as it is for you of course but you are his life and he is angered…no scratch that…enraged that someone could have done this to you. That's why he sometimes feels the need to seek solace elsewhere, like he did after you gave the police report."

"I knew he shouldn't have stayed." I said angered and guilt ridden. "Why did I have to be so selfish?"

"Because you needed him and believe it or not he needed to be here with you. Don't feel guilty for that. I just wanted to let you know that it wasn't you he was walking away from."

"Then what was he walking away from, Rosalie?"

"Himself."

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

On day 3 of my stay and still no television despite my frequent requests, Edward had come back from "eating lunch" with a bag heavy with purchases from a local book store.

"You said you were bored, so I provided you with some reading materials."

I looked at the overflowing bag. Holy cow! How long did he think I was going to stay here? "Did you buy out the whole store?" I asked incredulously.

He grinned. "No, just all the Austen and Bronte." He began to remove all the books from the bag looking like a kid at Christmas. "Which one do you want first?"

In truth, I didn't know where to start and my eyes were so tired I didn't even know if I could focus on the words.

"Pride and Prejudice. Would you read to me, please?" I could listen to Edward's velvety voice for hours.

"Of course." He answered picking out the novel from all the others and opening it and began to read. "It is a truth universally acknowledged, that a single man in possession of a good fortune must be in want of a wife….seriously Bella?" He said looking up at me and shaking his head obviously amused at the opening sentence.

"Please." I pleaded. "And no side comments from the peanut gallery."

"You're ruining all of my fun." He joked. It was good to see him in a better mood although I knew that we still had yet to speak of why I had held things back from him. I sensed he wanted to wait to have that particular conversation for when I was out of the hospital.

Edward continued and I could tell he was biting his tongue to keep from making comments here and there when something sounded ridiculous to him, which quite a lot did. After a while, his voice sounded as if it was coming from a distance and I realized that I was falling asleep.


	23. Operation Honeymoon Hottie

Thank you all for the encouraging reviews. In this chapter I decided to throw in some fluffy humor. I hope you enjoy it.

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Alice POV

Bella was going stir crazy and who could blame her, being stuck in a hospital bed as she was…_again_. That is why I came up with the perfect distraction to get her mind off of everything…a surprise fantasy lingerie party! It was imperative that I keep Edward out of the loop however since much of what would be purchased would be for him as much as it was for Bella. I had Esme and Rosalie help me with the planning and we all agreed that Renee would have to wait to know until the last possible second. There was no way we could actually tell her that Edward can read minds. That would raise too many questions better left unanswered.

I let Carlisle in on it as well since it was he that would have to drag Edward hunting while we had our little party. I didn't trust Emmett to keep a secret like this, not when there was lingerie involved. Jasper, I did tell since he would have to guard the door in case Edward came back earlier than planned. That was a distinct possibility since he rarely left Bella's side and was considerably anxious to be away from her for even a minimal amount of time. I told Jasper that after Edward left, he could then and _only_ then let Emmett in on it. In the meantime, he would tell Emmett they would be guarding Bella's door from any stray reporters looking to get a story. Emmett loved getting rambunctious with the reporters much to Esme's dismay.

Rosalie had contacted this woman, Janice, who was a local hostess of this type of party. She would be arriving at noon with what she called her "honeymoon" package. Rosalie had told her to bring some of the kinky stuff as well. This could prove to be very interesting indeed.

Down the hall, I could hear Edward arguing with Carlisle. It was too low for human ears but not being a human, I was able to hear every word.

"But you need to go hunting Edward. I can see it in your eyes. It's just for a few hours" Carlisle was trying to reason with him.

He shook his head emphatically. "That's too long. I can wait. I need to be with Bella right now. Come to think of it, don't you need to be here too? You are after all Bella's physician."

"I don't want the staff here to become suspicious about why I barely ever leave. This is a good hospital Edward. There will be plenty of people to care for Bella should something happen. She's been stable, Edward. I would never suggest either one of us go if there was even the least amount of risk."

"Why not take Jasper or Emmett with you then?"

And Edward thought Bella was stubborn, I mocked to myself sarcastically. She had nothing on him.

"Because they already went hunting. You didn't."

Edward let out an exasperated sigh. "Fine. Let me go talk to Bella first and tell her where I'll be."

He walked down the hall towards me with a brooding look on his face. I felt a twinge of guilt but at least he would be out the way. When Edward passed me, Carlisle smirked in my direction. "You owe me." He mouthed. I suppressed a giggle know that Carlisle would have to deal with Edward's grumbling and gloominess the whole time they were out.

I called Rosalie on my cell.

"Operation Honeymoon Hottie is a go." I told her laughing at the name I had given to our little escapade.

"Great. I'll get Esme and you can get Renee." She replied.

I saw Renee approaching me from down the hall with a huge grin across her face. "No need. She found me." I said and hung up the phone.

Renee put her arm around my shoulder. "Okay, now that you've gotten rid of Edward, what have you got planned? I know something's going on. Don't bother to deny it." She said in a conspiratorial whisper. Edward had mentioned that Renee was eerily intuitive but I hadn't believed him until now.

I put my arm around her waist and guided her towards Bella's room. "_We_ are having a lingerie party for Bella in her room. Rosalie found someone that could bring the party to us" I told her.

She practically shrieked in excitement. "Fantastic! I think Bella could use some sexy thongs and…hmm… lots of lace and silk, I think. Maybe even a leather push up bra."

I really, really like Renee, I thought smiling.

Bella POV

I was reading Northanger Abbey when Edward walked into my room. His expression was that of a petulant child and I would have laughed if he didn't look so miserable. I put the book down and held my hand out to him which he took and kissed, holding it to his cheek afterwards.

"What's wrong?" I asked.

"Carlisle" he scowled. "He's making me go hunting with him."

"Well, your eyes are looking kind of dark. Maybe it's not such a bad idea." I told him. Of course, I would hate the separation, I always did but I knew staying in the hospital surrounded by sickness and blood were taking it's toll on him.

"I don't want to leave you." He said simply. "If something should happen…" His voice trailed off and his face took on a pained expression as if he were imagining all sorts of horrors that could befall me.

I gave the hand that still held mine a tight squeeze. "Edward, I'll be fine. Really. You should go."

"If you're sure." He hedged.

I rolled my eyes. "Go." I told him. "I'll see you later and you can read to me some more."

He leaned down to kiss me. "I think I may have something better in mind." He said, his sweet breath tormenting me in the most delicious of ways. I felt a shiver that had nothing to do with cold and everything to do with anxious anticipation.

"Hurry back then."

"I love you." He said giving me one last roguish look before heading out the door. Sighing, I picked my book up again but wasn't able to concentrate on the words any longer. Just as I threw the book across the bed there was a soft knock on the door and Alice poked her head through.

"You can come in Alice. No sense in standing there." I told her.

She grinned and practically floated into the room. "It's not just me." She said as Rosalie, Esme and Renee filtered in behind her, all of them wearing smug grins on their faces. Immediately I became suspicious. Something was going on.

My eyes narrowed at her. "Okay, Alice. Spill it. What's going on? This isn't some sort of impromptu bridal shower is it?" I sincerely hoped not. They all knew I had no desire to have a bridal shower.

If possible her grin became wider. "Remember how we were supposed to go shopping for your wedding night?" I slowly nodded trying to figure out where she was headed with this. "Well, since it looks like that's not going to happen anytime soon, we've brought the shopping to you." She said with a clap of her hands.

"What do you mean? Bring the shopping to me?"

"What Alice is trying to say in her Alice-like way is that we are having a lingerie party for you…here." Rosalie drawled. "Our hostess should be arriving momentarily."

My mouth gaped open. This was so much worse than a bridal shower. Of course, I wanted to look good for Edward on our wedding night and all the nights of our honeymoon and beyond but to have an audience while looking at what essentially was underwear, an audience that included not only my mother but perfect Rosalie was beyond embarrassing to say the least.

"Oh stop gawking Bella." My mom said. "It's not like the first time you've shopped for lingerie?" My mom must have noticed the slow creep of the blush I felt rising to my cheeks because she questioned further. "Is it?" She peered at me somewhat surprised.

"There was never a need before now." I squeaked out, wanting nothing more than to _not_ have this conversation.

"You mean…you never…?" I shook my head, my blush now spreading across my whole body.

"My son is very old fashioned."

"Edward's never done it either" Both Esme and Rosalie said at the same tine but while Esme sounded proud, Rosalie kind of snorted at the end of her statement as if she thought the concept was beyond ridiculous.

Now it was Renee's turn to have a gaping mouth. "But I thought...I mean…he's just so good looking." She finally uttered still in shock.

"Bella is Edward's first girlfriend." Alice said grinning at me.

"That's so unusu…I mean sweet." Renee said bewildered. I could tell she was trying to wrap her head around the fact that not only I was a virgin but Edward was too and as beautiful as he was, no one has claimed him until now. If she was aware of his actual age, Renee would be mortified.

Another knock on the door thankfully interrupted any further discussion about both mine and Edward's lack of experience. A middle aged woman with a huge smile walked in trailing a large suitcase.

"You must be Janice." Rosalie said in greeting. "I'm Rosalie. We spoke on the phone."

"Yes, hi Rosalie. I have to admit I never conducted one of these in a hospital before. This must be the blushing bride. Bella, is it?"

I nodded. Blushing was put it mildly. I felt like I was still crimson red from my hairline to my toes.

I found out that Janice not only had negligee's, teddies and peignoir sets but also some "toys" as well. Rose seemed the most interested in those until Renee got a good look at them.

"Ohh, Bella, flavored massage cream." Renee exclaimed. "I am sure Edward would enjoy this. What his favorite flavor?"

Alice, Rosalie, Esme and I could not help the giggles that escaped us.

"I don't think they have that flavor mom. He's very particular when it comes to taste." I was not going to tell her that Edward's favorite flavor was my blood.

"We could special order it if it's not here. Maybe you would consider edible underwear as well?" Janice said trying to be helpful.

"Let's forget the massage cream and edible underwear for now." Esme interjected. "I am sure they won't need it." I was so grateful for Esme at that moment I could have hugged her on the spot. She looked at me knowingly suppressing another laugh.

I did notice that Renee set aside some of that body cream for herself and Phil…yuck! In the end we all got something though they ordered the most for me, half of which I couldn't even picture myself in, though Alice said she could. Those were visions of the future I did not want her to peek in on. Janice was exuberant, dollar signs dancing in her eyes with the amount of money that was spent today.

Edward POV

Carlisle kept trying to keep me out longer but I had my fill and wanted only to be back at Bella's side. Grudgingly, he agreed and we both headed back to the hospital. As I approached Bella's door, I saw both Emmett and Jasper there nearly doubled over in what seemed to be raucous laughter.

When they heard me approach they quickly straightened up attempting to look serious but barks of laughter escaped from their lips.

"What's going on?" I asked attempting to move past them to enter Bella's room.

Emmett placed his hand on my chest preventing me from going any further. "Dude, you don't want to go in there." He said with a distinctive gleam in his eye.

"More like Alice will kill us if he did." Jasper said.

If it weren't for the fact that they were near hysterical, I would think that something was very, very wrong.

I caught glimpses of their thoughts,

_Animal print teddy_

_Thongs _

_Operation Honeymoon Hottie _?

"Will one of you please explain to me what the _hell_ is going on?" I nearly shouted at them.

"It's a girlie party." Emmett said. Ugh, sometimes his immaturity knew no limits. I turned to Jasper for further explanation.

"In short, they are buying lingerie for the honeymoon. Alice and Rosalie put it together. And obviously you are not allowed to see or know about any of it." Jasper said pointedly.

No wonder why Carlisle practically demanded I go hunting with him. It all made sense now. Briefly, I let my mind wander to thoughts of Bella on our honeymoon dressed in a long white gossamer gown, her hair cascading over her shoulders and a shy come-hither look in her eye. I nearly groaned in frustration and tried to erase the thought from my mind. Bella was recovering from a gunshot wound for God's sake and here I was acting like some depraved hormonal teenager…_I was acting like Emmett._

"Feel lucky you weren't here when they were discussing edible undies and massage creams." Emmett joked.

This time I did groan out loud. "Are they trying to undermine my self control?"

"C'mon, let's get out of here 'til they're done" Jasper said. "Why torture yourself?"

Why indeed? But that vision of Bella in my head was there and there it would stay until I saw it in reality. If I didn't know any better, I would swear I was having a hot flash.


	24. Promises

Bella POV

A week after I was admitted I was allowed to go home…well to the Cullen's actually. It had been agreed that I would recuperate with Edward's family since someone would always be there and Charlie had taken enough time off of work already. Renee went home to Jacksonville the day before I was released feeling confident that I was healing nicely. I knew she missed Phil so I didn't ask her to stay. I also knew that I would see her again in about a month's time anyway.

When Edward carried me into the house (God forbid I should walk on my own) I saw the living room adorned with "Get Well" balloons and banners much to my chagrin. Edward rolled his eyes and gave a crooked grin.

"Alice" he muttered.

"Well of course it was me." Alice said. "Bella needs a proper welcome home."

"Don't you think this is a little overboard?" I asked her.

"Who me? Go overboard? Don't be silly." She replied.

Edward placed me gently on the couch. "I'm just going to get you some water and something to eat love." He turned to look at the rest of his family. "Do not over tax her." He warned them.

"Edward, relax. We'll take good care of her." Esme told him. She waited until he walked out of the room before she spoke again. "He just doesn't let up does he?"

""I heard that." Edward called out from the kitchen.

"Edward's just concerned, as we all are." Carlisle said looking at me pointedly. "We are so happy to have you home Bella where you belong."

I blushed furiously at that. They still wanted me. Even after all I put them through.

"I can feel what you feel Bella and you need to stop." Jasper told me. Alice looked curiously at him. "Remember what I said to you on the way to Phoenix last year. You _are_ worth it."

"I'm just so sorry." I blurted out. "I never wanted to involve you with any of this."

It was Rosalie that came over to me and took my hand in hers in a comforting gesture. "We are your family Bella. Of course we're involved. Whether you like it or not, whether you want to or not."

"Yeah sis…we just can't help being busybodies." Emmett cajoled trying to lighten the mood.

Through my sudden tears I smiled. "Yeah...well with a mind-reader, a psychic and an empath you just can't help yourselves can you?"

"Nope…and don't you forget it." Alice said giving me a much needed hug.

Later that evening Edward and I lay on our bed in his room. I shifted myself slightly to curl up more into his embrace and groaned as I felt the stitches pull.

"What's wrong Bella? Are you in pain? Do you need more medication?" Edward asked me worriedly already moving to get the prescription bottle on the nightstand. I grabbed his hand to pull him back towards me.

"No, they'll just make me loopy." I told him. The last thing I wanted was to be drugged up again. I had enough of that over the past week.

"Are you sure? If you need them you should take them."

"It's nothing I can't handle. I'm fine…really."

He stared at me as if trying to measure my pain from my facial expression. Satisfied that I was telling the truth, he nodded.

"I have something for you." He said reaching into his pocket and pulling out the ring box that I never thought I'd see again.

"My ring!" I shouted excitedly.

He took it out and put it back on my finger. "Now it's back where it belongs."

"Thank you. I thought it was gone for good."

"Thank Alice." He said ruefully. "She found it by your truck. They wouldn't let you wear it at the hospital but I have been carrying it with me ever since…" His voice trailed off and his face contorted in an anguished expression. "Bella…why…why did you never tell me?" Edward whispered. His voice sounded hoarse and tortured.

I looked away from him trying to find the right words but he just came around to face me again tilting my head up so he could look into my eyes. "Don't." he commanded "Don't hide your beautiful face from me. Not when I despaired over never seeing it again. Please" He begged and I knew that I had to give him the answers he sought.

I brought my hand up to smooth the 'v' that creased his brow and caressed his cheek. "Edward…what happened to me years ago…well…I never told you because…I lived through it, I dealt with it and I locked the memory away in my mind never wanting to think about it again. It was a part of my past I never wanted to revisit. To tell you the truth I never really thought about it again until I had to. You can understand that can't you?" I fervently hoped that he would.

He let out a breath and seemingly tried to process the information I gave him. "Okay...I get that, I do. But when Detective Connor called you to tell you that…that monster escaped. Why did you not come to me then? Why? I could have protected you."

How could I explain it to him so he would understand? Agitated, he started to pace around the room. "I knew something was wrong…the nightmares, the sudden interest in self defense, your nervousness. You laid it all out for me to see only I didn't ask the right questions."

He was blaming this on himself? "_None _of this is your fault." I told him. "I didn't _want_ you to know."

Edward stopped his pacing then and kneeling down in front of me he looked directly at me. "Which brings us back to my question. Why?"

"Because I _know_ you Edward. I know what you would have done. I couldn't bear it if I drove you to that. You're not a killer no matter what you think of yourself and I knew you would just think worse of yourself if you had been the one to kill him. So I took steps to try and protect myself."

He didn't look happy with my answer. His mouth opened and just when I thought he was going to say something, he shut it again. This happened a few more times until I couldn't take it anymore. I had never seen him at such a loss for words and he looked angry on top of it.

"Say something, please." I said.

Edward POV

I couldn't believe what she was telling me. Esme was right but to hear it from Bella's own mouth actually confirming it flabbergasted me. I didn't know what to say, how to react to such ludicrous reasoning.

"Bella, believe me. I would have felt no remorse, no guilt for killing him." I said finally knowing it was the truth.

"Maybe not right away"

I shook my head. "No, never. How could I? He was trying to take you away for me…forever."

"You're not a killer Edward."

A scornful laugh burst from my lips. "And you are?"

"I was justified. It was self defense." She looked so indignant sitting there trying to explain to me why she was justified but I was not, I almost laughed again at the irony. I _was_ a killer…a monster. Maybe not in the same grade as _him_ but it was in my instinct to kill. It was the very essence of my nature and it was also an argument we had many times before. I decided to try a different tact, one equally as true if not more so.

"It would have been self defense for me too, Bella." I said pressing my forehead gently against hers. "If he would have killed you, he would have killed me as well. Don't you know by now…haven't I said it enough? I cannot live in a world where you don't exist."

"I'm sorry. Please don't be angry at me." She said combing her fingers through my hair and kissed me.

All my anger dissipated as soon as her lips locked on mine. I kissed her back never wanting to let her go. A part of me saw her rationale of why she had done what she did, her valiant efforts in vain for I still felt the bloodlust to kill Grady churning within me even if he was already dead. The rest of me saw Bella lying bloody and near death on the cold floor of a warehouse. A sight which I could have prevented if I had only known, a sight I would never forget as long as I walked on earth. I held her closer to me. She was here, with me, safe. The irony that the only place I thought she was safe was when she was by my side did not escape me.

I pulled back from our embrace ever so slightly not willing to separate our bodies completely.

"You don't know how much it hurt knowing that this was happening to you and I was helpless to stop it. I need you to promise me something….if there is anyone or anything bothering you or threatening you in any way, anything at all…I need you to tell me. No matter what you think my reaction might be. Please."

"I promise" she answered solemnly. I knew it was a promise she would not break.

Bella POV

I was in the meadow again, my head in Elizabeth Masen's lap as she smoothed my hair in a comforting, maternal gesture.

"Tell him. Free him." She whispered.

I awoke with a start and I was back in bed lying on Edward's chest, wrapped in his embrace. What was I supposed to tell? Who was I supposed to tell? I thought. What did she mean?

"Everything okay love?" Edward asked knowing I was awake.

"Just a dream." I mumbled and snuggled closer into him letting my eyes drift close once more.


	25. Resolutions

Edward POV

I had to leave Bella to her dreams in the middle of the night to go hunting with my brothers. Usually I could go for 2 weeks without feeding but my worry and fear over the past week drained me quickly and I felt the burn in the back of my throat more intensely. I wrote Bella a quick note and left it on the pillow beside her head. Seeing her sleeping so sweetly with her hands curled under her head, I almost changed my mind and crawled back into bed with her. That is until I heard Emmett scraping his nails on the door outside my room.

_If you don't come out in two seconds, I'm coming in_

_He means it Edward. _ I assumed Jasper came to join him.

I couldn't allow them entry. Bella would awaken for sure and despite the fact that she had been complaining of too much sleep, I knew her body needed it to heal.

"I'll see you later, my love." I whispered to her stroking her cheek.

"Love you" She mumbled though I don't think she was even fully aware of me at the moment.

With a quick kiss on her warm lips and a soft smile, I left.

"Let's not go too far." I informed both Jasper and Emmett as we made our way out of the house and into the dense forest. Any distance from Bella now no matter how small was enough to make me anxious. Jasper looked at me understandingly.

"You'll both heal in time." He said.

Heal, yes. I could believe that but not always having her close to me where I could assure myself of her safety? _That_ feeling would never go away. Not even after she becomes like me.

"It's been a hell of a week." Emmett said jumping to swing on a tree branch with his usual energy. But I couldn't fault him for his high spirits. He was just happy that the danger was behind us, behind Bella. A hell of a week of was a hell of an understatement though.

"That's putting it mildly." I replied.

"So is Bella doing okay now, no bad side effects?" he asked landing a few feet from me.

"I keep waiting for her to go into some kind of shock but Bella always does the unpredictable. As far as I can tell, she is glad it's over." I looked to Jasper for confirmation of this. I did not have the luxury of reading Bella's thoughts and I knew that out of any of us, Jasper would be able to get an honest reading of how Bella _actually_ felt.

"I'm not getting any intense negative emotions from her anymore…not like before." Jasper said thoughtfully. _It's really strange how she has so much control over her emotions._

Yes, I had thought that a time or two myself especially since the Port Angeles incident. She had shown no fear at all.

"_I've always been very good at repressing unpleasant things." _ I remembered her saying that night at the restaurant with perfect clarity and I had wondered at the time if she had much experience with "unpleasant things". Now I had my answer.

"So are we going for bear or mountain lion?" Emmett asked us. _Please say bear, please say bear._

"You are so obvious Emmett" I said rolling my eyes. "If you want grizzly all you had to do was say so."

We took off in the direction where there would be the most likelihood into running into them. In truth hunting for mountain lion would have taken us too far away. At least the bears were closer.

Bella POV

Edward was still out hunting with Emmett and Jasper and Carlisle stayed behind to examine how I was healing. When I had first woken up, I was a little disoriented with Edward not being there but then I saw his perfectly handwritten note next to me.

_Dearest Bella,_

_Please forgive my absence but I went out hunting with Jasper and Emmett. Carlisle will be taking out your stitched today. Perhaps we can celebrate by going to our meadow if you're up to it._

_All my love,_

_Edward_

I'd make sure I was up to going to the meadow. I had been indoors so much I felt like I had forgotten what a tree looked like.

"All done, Bella." Carlisle told me as he finished taking the stitches out. "Just remember no heavy lifting for a few weeks."

"Thank God. They were giving me a serious case of the itches." I smiled at him

"The wound appears to have healed nicely. I don't anticipate much scarring but of course any scars will go away once you have been changed save the one your hand." He was referring to the bite from James of course but Carlisle a master in tactfulness. "How are you feeling otherwise? "

"Okay, I guess. I mean the wound is still tender and sore but I guess that's to be expected, right?"

"Mmm, yes, that's perfectly normal. And emotionally?"

I shrugged my shoulders. "Well, I am glad it's all over." I didn't know what he expected me to say.

"I must say you are taking this remarkably well all things considering." He looked at me suspiciously. "Almost too well."

"I'm not teetering on the edge of a nervous breakdown if that's what you mean." I didn't know how to explain so he would or could understand. By killing Grady, that closed a chapter on my life. I had dealt with the horror and the aftermath before. This time around was nothing compared to the horrors I was subjected to before. Now I just felt calm almost serene. Maybe I _wasn't_ normal. Maybe I _was _going to fall to pieces. It was obviously what Carlisle expected. "It's just that I lived through worse…this almost seems anticlimactic if that makes any sense. At least no one was killed because of me this time." I thought back to all those women Grady killed in front of me and suppressed a shudder. Thank God it hadn't come to that again."

"I see your point Bella and I understand but sometimes stress from this type of trauma can take many forms. Any nightmares? Edward hadn't mentioned any but…"

Mention of nightmares made me remember my dreams of Elizabeth Mason. Did I tell Carlisle about them? Would he think I was nuts? I chewed my bottom lip debating on telling him.

"So you have been?" Carlisle prodded and seemed almost pleased that I was having some sort of the reaction he was expecting. Only I wasn't.

"Not nightmares, no." I told him honestly and immediately saw the confusion on his face. I just ruined his assumption. "But I have been having sort of a recurring dream."

"When did these dreams start?" He looked at me curiously.

"The first one was when I was coming out of from under the anesthesia."

"Ahh." Carlisle's eyes lit with understanding. "It's not unusual to have strange dreams while under the influence of medication. Would you like to tell me about it? It sounds like it was disturbing. I'd like to help if I can."

I thought for a moment. How to say this so it didn't make me sound like a mental patient. It seemed so real as if Edward's mother _did_ actually speak to me.

"Edward's mother, Elizabeth spoke to me." I blurted out.

"Really?" Carlisle now seemed very intrigued. "Bella." He said when I didn't say anything after my statement.

Oh! He wanted me to elaborate. I should have known. I concentrated on the memory trying to get a clear picture in my head. "We were in our meadow…Edward's and mine…she said it was the only safe place she could talk to me. I still don't know what she meant by that. She…well she wanted to thank me mostly for loving her son. She said he waited very long for me and I made him happy. It couldn't really have been her, right? I mean that's ridiculous isn't it?"

The look on Carlisle's face said he didn't think it was. "Tell me something Bella, has Edward ever shown you a picture of his mother?"

I thought about it for a moment then shook my head. "No, I don't believe so. I would have remembered that."

Carlisle got up then and opened a door in his cabinet with a key. He took a small wooden box out and pulled out an old photograph and handed it to me. "_This _is Elizabeth Masen."

I looked at the picture and felt like I had the wind knocked out of me. It was her, the woman from my dream. "Oh my God." I whispered out loud. My hands were trembling.

"Bella, Bella are you alright?"

I nodded shakily still staring at the picture. "It's her."I told him. "This is the woman in my dreams."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." I handed the photograph back to him.

"Amazing" He whispered then looked at me intensely. "Did she say anything else?"

I went over the conversation in my head and something clicked. "She told me she agonized on her decision…when she asked you to change him. She said she was at peace now, knowing she made the right choice."

Carlisle's whole face lit with joy as if a huge weight had been lifted from his shoulders and he looked years younger if that were even possible. He wrapped me in a fatherly hug.

"Thank you Bella. You have given me the greatest gift I could ever have received." He whispered.

"You believe it was her then? I mean maybe it was a hallucination brought on by the drugs in my system."

He shook his head, a tolerant smile on his face. "Bella, you live in a world with vampires and werewolves, do you mean to tell me you don't believe in ghosts or angels?"

I hadn't thought about it that way, not really. Not until I saw the Elizabeth Masen's eyes stare back at me in the photograph.

"Even after all these years, I despaired whether or not I made the right decision in turning Edward. I blamed it on my own selfishness to want a companion. He was miserable and alone for so many years…then you came into his life…all of our lives really. I always knew you were special and apparently Elizabeth knew it as well. Thank you Bella for telling me, for releasing me of this burden I have carried for so many years."

In the face of Carlisle's overwhelming happiness, I felt myself blushing profusely and I found myself telling him the same thing I had told Elizabeth in my dream. "You don't need to thank me. I love Edward. He is my life."

"Just as you are his."

I never saw Carlisle look so giddy and I smiled back at him.

"Have you told Edward?" He asked me suddenly.

"No, do you think I should?"

"I do. I think it would mean the world to him."

XXXX

"Bella would you stop pacing, you're giving me a headache. Not an easy thing to do." Alice chastised me as she watched me flit from one side of the living room to the next all in anticipation of seeing Edward.

"Sorry Alice. I can't help it."

"Edward will be home soon. In the meantime you should re…"

I interrupted her mid sentence. "If one more person tells me I need to rest, I will scream."

"Yes, I can see that." She said sarcastically. "Oh, for heaven's sake will you at least sit down then? Edward will have my head on a silver platter if he comes back and you are worse for the wear."

"Fine" I grumbled sitting down next to her with my arms crossed in front of me. I couldn't tell her why I needed to see Edward so badly but knowing Alice she could probably guess.

"You are going to make him so happy." She told me while perusing through a wedding magazine. "Mmm, I think this is a beautiful cake, don't you?" she pointed at a picture of a large intricate 5 tiered confection.

I didn't acknowledge the cake but focused on her previous statement. "Wait…back up a sec…you've seen?"

"Uh, psychic…remember." She tapped her head with her perfectly manicured nails. "Oh well, we ordered the cake already anyway." Sometimes having a conversation with Alice was like speaking to someone that had ADD. "And as for your question, yes I have seen and yes you will make him as happy as you made Carlisle earlier. Now…" she took another bridal magazine and shoved it at me. "Why don't you look for some ideas for the bridal party gifts?"

"You mean I actually get to pick something for my own wedding." I snorted. That comment was met with the evil eye Alice glare. "Just kidding."

"I know" she said with a grin. "By the way, the boys should be here in a few minutes. I can hear Emmett's lewd laughter now. He must be thinking dirty thoughts…naughty boy."

I went to get up to run to the door but Alice anticipated my move. "Sit." She ordered.

"Yes ma'am." I sat back down.

Edward came in the door first and pulled me into his arms giving me a searing kiss that had my toes curling.

"Get a room!" Emmett yelled out. "Oh wait...Eddie wants to save himself for the marriage bed." He snickered at his own joke.

"Shut up Emmett." I said throwing a pillow at him once Edward's lips left mine.

"You do realize that _you_ are the only one that finds you amusing." Edward retorted though his eyes never left mine. "How are you feeling love?" He asked me.

"She's been antsy all day." Alice told him.

"I'm good, better than good. Can we go to the meadow now?" I asked him excitedly.

He threw his head back and laughed. "I think we can arrange that. Are you ready?"

"Honey, I was born ready." I told him suggestively and blushed when I heard 4 sets of laughter. Did I say that out loud?

"In that case, let's go." Edward picked me up in his arms as I knew he would and we were out the door.

I never got tired of the wondrous sight of our meadow lit by the sun. "Is it just me or does it look more beautiful somehow?" I asked when he finally set me down. He stared at me so adoringly, I blushed.

"It pales in comparison to you." He whispered stroking a tendril of my hair in his fingers. He was wrong. It paled in comparison to him, especially now when the sun shone on him making him glisten so brilliantly it nearly brought tears to my eyes.

"Come." I said taking his hand. "I have something to tell you."

We sat on the lush grass surrounded by the wildflowers. "You've piqued my curiosity, love."

I didn't say anything at first. I closed my eyes enjoying the heat of the sun on my face and bare arms and the scent of the fresh air. I sensed rather than saw Edward stroke a flower down the side of my neck to the top of my shirt.

"That tickles." I said opening my eyes and noting the goose bumps on my arms.

"Mmm…Do you know how much I adore you?" He replied replacing the flower with his lips. When he touched me like this I couldn't even think. My fingers wound their way into his hair and I heard him let out a low, lusty growl. All too soon, he pulled away. "You were going to tell me something?" He grinned.

"What?…oh. You completely dazzled me I almost forgot what I was going to tell you."

"I won't apologize."

"I know."

"Okay Miss Swan soon to be Cullen, what is it you wanted to tell me?"

Now that I had him here, I didn't know how to tell him. "Bella…" He prodded.

"Okay, okay it's just that I don't know quite how to explain this."

"The direct approach usually works the best."

"Well actually Carlisle thought I should tell you. You see I had an odd sort of dream when I was in the hospital. It was about your mother."

"Esme?"

"No, your real mother, Elizabeth."

This got his attention and he sat straight up. "How do you know it was my mother?" He asked curiously with a little skepticism thrown in the mix.

"She said it was…and…and Carlisle showed me a photograph. It was the same woman in my dream. We were here, in the meadow. She was so beautiful. You look just like her you know." I said caressing his cheek. "Anyway she wanted to thank me I suppose for being in your life." I paused then to look for any reaction, hidden or otherwise.

"I give thanks every day for you being in my life." He told me but his eyes showed wonder at what I was telling him.

"Anyway" I continued glossing over what he just said. If anyone should be giving thanks it should be me…and I did…often. "She also told me she did not regret her decision to have Carlisle change you. She was at peace. I think she wanted me to let you know this. I know what you think of yourself, how you see yourself as this horrible monster but you're not. To me you are more angel than demon. What I am trying to say is…you see Edward, she doesn't regret it…neither should you."

I couldn't tell if he believed me or not. Hell. I didn't even know if I would believe me. Slowly I saw his expression change from skepticism to confusion to joy. His face was now the exact image of Carlisle's when I had told him.

"Do you know what this means?' He asked me.

"I do but do _you_?"

He nodded slowly and wrapped me in his arms. "God, how I love you."

It was then that I realized that although I couldn't give Edward or any of the Cullen's any grand gesture of monetary value, I gave them something infinitely more important; I gave Carlisle the ability to forgive himself and Edward the gift of self-acceptance. I wasn't fool enough to believe that Edward's changes would happen overnight but hopefully in time the part of him that looked at himself as a selfish monster would become less dominant.

A warm floral scented breeze washed over us then and I could swear I heard Elizabeth's soft voice was hidden in the wind. "_Thank you."_

"You're welcome." I whispered.

XXXX

I just want to say thank you all for reading my first Twilight fanfiction. I hope you have enjoyed reading it as much as I have enjoyed writing it.


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